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Mrs. Martinez Broke Her Hip
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Mrs. Martinez, who is a patient at Longview Hospital, recently broke her hip. While standing on a ladder trying to clean her house, she slipped and fell to the ground. She felt intense pain on her hip and upper thigh area but was able to get to her cell phone to call 911.
Mrs. Martinez was brought to Longview Hospital by ambulance. The doctor there told her that the fall caused fractures in the bones in her hip and upper thigh, so she had to have surgery on her hip. Now she has been in the hospital for a week. She feels worried about her house and is anxious to return home, but she has to have physical therapy in the hospital until she can move well enough to go to a transitional care unit and then eventually home to live alone again.
Tanisha is Mrs. Martinez’s certified nursing assistant. Every day, Tanisha assists Mrs. Martinez in changing her position in bed. If Mrs. Martinez doesn’t move enough, she will develop pressure ulcers from inactivity, so Tanisha encourages Mrs. Martinez to use the trapeze above her bed to help her move and get some exercise in her upper body. When Mrs. Martinez lies in bed, Tanisha attaches an abduction pillow to her legs to make sure that they stay in the correct, straight position.
As Mrs. Martinez’s hip heals, the doctor will let her know when she can put some weight on her leg. When Mrs. Martinez is well enough to use a walker, Tanisha will walk around the unit with her. She will stay by her side to make sure that Mrs. Martinez doesn’t put too much pressure on her hip. Too much pressure could increase the pain and swelling in her hip. Mrs. Martinez’s hip will heal slowly and she needs to walk, but it is important that she doesn’t do too much activity, or she could fall and fracture it again.