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PRESS RELEASE
Safehip® hip protectors are a soft, comfortable and safe solution to the Danish National Board of Health's recommendations for the elderly in sheltered housing
Hip protectors are an effective and cost-effective solution for the prevention of pelvic fractures amongst elderly residents of Danish sheltered housing facilities, states a new recommendation from the National Board of Health, published on 27 April 2010.
The recommendation is based on critical assessment of a Canadian study of the effect of hip protectors amongst sheltered housing residents. Applied to Danish conditions, the Board believes that annual savings of DKK 15-20 million can be achieved by offering hip protectors to elderly residents at risk of falling.
"The Board's recommendation confirms the tests and analyses we have run over several years in the course of our innovation and development work within hip protectors," says Karsten Holst, Sales Manager for Safehip®, one of the leading brands on the hip protectors market."Our most recent study from 2008 involved 1236 test subjects. The results showed that Safehip® hip protectors minimise the risk of hip fracture as a result of a fall by over 60%, which is supported by reports from Copenhagen City Council.
Karsten Holst emphasises that fewer hip fractures also means better quality of life for the elderly. Experience shows that many elderly people operated on for hip fractures subsequently have to live with substantially reduced mobility. That's why it is important to offer safety and comfort as part of an elderly person's everyday life.
Soft, comfortable solution
Karsten Holst hopes that the Board's recommendation will be followed up out in the country’s municipalities. He also acknowledges that it requires effort to convince the elderly in the risk group that hip protectors should be a natural part of their clothing. There are preconceived ideas and pride associated with the use of hip protectors.
"In the past, hip protectors were large and bulky, and consisted of a hard, protective shell. And that's an image a lot of people still have in their heads, even though they are a thing of the past. The latest generation of Safehip® has a shell made of AirX™, a specially-developed textile. The result is a soft, comfortable, breathable and flexible hip protector, which protects effectively against injury from falling by absorbing and disseminating impact. Neither is it visible outside clothing," explains Holst.
Safehip® is made by Danish company Tytex, the world's first manufacturer of hip protectors, and a global leader in the field, a position achieved through product development, innovation and testing. Safehip® is produced in special models which protect all types of users in all kinds of situations: Active, barely mobile, incontinent and etc. Sales and distribution are handled by a number of distributors world-wide, all with extensive experience with the products.
PICTURE CAPTION:Safehip® means that elderly people with a high risk of falling can effectively protect themselves against hip injuries. All models are easy to put on and take off, are comfortable to wear and cannot be seen outside clothing. The perfect protection which makes it easier to follow the National Board of Health's recommendation.
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