Recovering from a broken hip at home

A broken hip is one of the most serious injuries an older adult can have, and the weeks after surgery shape how well they walk again. Most of that recovery happens at home. This note covers how to set up the house, what to do each day, and the signs that need a call.

Set up the house

Set up a bedroom and a bathroom or bedside commode on the floor where the person spends most of the day.¹ The bed should be low enough that their feet touch the floor when sitting on the edge.¹ Use a raised toilet seat for the first couple of weeks.¹ If no one can help for the first one to two weeks, ask the surgeon about a trained caregiver.¹

Move often

Try not to sit for more than 45 minutes at a time without getting up and moving.¹ Use the walker or crutches, and ask the surgeon how much weight the leg can bear.¹ Don’t sleep on the stomach or on the side of the surgery.¹

Care for the wound

Check the incision for signs of infection at least once a day, and change the dressing daily if the surgeon says to.¹ Drainage or a bad smell after the first two to three days isn’t normal; call the surgeon’s office.¹ Wait for the surgeon’s okay before showering or soaking.¹

Prevent blood clots

Keep wearing compression stockings for at least two or three weeks, or until the surgeon says to stop.¹ A blood thinner may be prescribed as a pill or a shot.¹

Protect the bones

Get checked for osteoporosis once the surgery has healed, and stop smoking, which slows bone healing.¹

When to call the surgeon

Call for a fever over 101°F; shortness of breath or chest pain when breathing; leg swelling, redness, warmth or calf pain; redness, more pain or drainage at the incision; pain the medicine doesn’t control; burning or frequent urination; or, on a blood thinner, nosebleeds or blood in the urine or stool.¹ For sudden trouble breathing or chest pain, call 911.

Help at home

Home health physical and occupational therapists help people walk, climb stairs and bathe safely again, and a nurse can check the wound and the blood thinner.