TUESDAY, Dec. 30, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Where an older person lives may influence whether they lose independence due to a hip fracture, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that older people are less likely to return home after a fall-related hip fracture if they live in a poorer area.
Older people living in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods spent about 23 fewer days at home in the year after their injury than people in affluent areas, researchers recently reported in JAMA Network Open.
“Older adults in neighborhoods like West Baltimore face compounded challenges: limited access to rehabilitation services, less support for caregivers, and neighborhood factors like broken sidewalks that make mobility difficult,” said lead researcher Jason Falvey, associate professor of physical therapy and rehabilitation science at the University of Maryland.
“These realities make it difficult to regain independence after a hip fracture,” he said in a news release.
Each year, more than 300,000 seniors age 65 or older suffer a hip fracture, with 88% resulting from falls, researchers reported in Background Information.
According to researchers, fewer than 35% regain the independence they had before breaking their hip, and up to 20% require long-term care.
For the new study, researchers relied on data from the Area Deprivation Index, a metric that assesses how deprived a neighborhood is based on factors such as income, education, employment and housing quality.
They used this data to compare the outcomes of more than 52,000 older adults with an average age of 82 who suffered a hip fracture in a fall. These injuries occurred between July 2010 and December 2019.
The team specifically looked at the number of days a person spends at home after a hip fracture, as it shows how well a person regains independence after a fall. If the person is not at home, they will be treated in a hospital or nursing home.
The results showed that residents of the most disadvantaged neighborhoods tended to be black or Hispanic and were more likely to be eligible for Medicare and Medicaid.
Older people in poorer areas spent almost 9% fewer days at home after a hip fracture than people in wealthier areas.
According to the researchers, residents in middle-income neighborhoods spent 5% fewer days at home compared to residents in affluent areas.
This shows that two people with the same injury and surgery can have very different recoveries depending on where they live, the researchers said.
“These results highlight the urgent need for recovery programs and community-tailored policies that extend beyond hospital walls,” Falvey said. “By investing in community-based resources, caregiver support and safe neighborhood infrastructure, we can help more seniors recover and age in place, wherever they live.”
More information
Yale Medicine has more information about geriatric hip fractures.
SOURCES: University of Maryland press release, December 23, 2025; JAMA Network Opening, December 23, 2025
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