Improving Osteoporosis Screening and Treatment in the Nursing Home

In the United States 4% of men and 19% of older women have sustained a hip fracture: the clinical manifestation of osteoporosis. The rate of hip fractures among nursing home residents is 2 times higher than community-dwelling older adults. Fewer than half are treated with fracture prevention medications. The cost of treatment for hip fractures is 665 million dollars per year, from nursing home residents alone. Hip fractures are a large financial burden on the healthcare system and have a substantially increased risk of major morbidity and mortality in adults, especially in nursing home residents who may already have multi-morbidity.