Pain guide · Hip pain

Recovering from a broken hip (hip fracture): a guide for you and your family

A broken hip (hip fracture) is a break at the top of the thigh bone, usually after a fall in later life. Nearly everyone has an operation within a day or so, and the aim is to stand and put full weight on the leg the day after surgery. Recovery takes months. Many people get back to the walking they managed before, some need more help than before, and how far recovery goes depends a lot on how well and mobile the person was beforehand.

This guide is for the person and their family: what happens in hospital, how to help with confusion, eating and getting up, the exercises from the hospital bed to the garden path with a 3D demo of each, and the falls and bone checks that should follow. Your hospital team's plan comes first. If the hip was replaced, our hip replacement guide explains precautions.

4-stage exercise plan When to get help 40 sourcesUpdated 21 October 2026

When to get help first

Exercise is for pain that has been checked or is clearly mild and settling.

Get urgent medical help if

Call 999 or go to A&E: severe hip pain after a fall or injury, or you cannot stand, walk or put weight on the leg. In an older adult this can be a broken hip; the leg may look shorter or turned outward. Don't drive to A&E: call 999 and ask for an ambulance.
Call 999 or go to A&E: tingling or loss of feeling in the hip or leg after an injury.
Call 999: after a fall, someone may have hurt their head, neck, back or hip, or they cannot get up. Keep them comfortable and warm, and help them up only if they can get up themselves: don't try to lift them yourself.
Go to A&E or call 999: someone suddenly becomes confused. In hospital, tell the nurses straight away, and say if it isn't normal for the person, even if they have dementia: it can be delirium, which has treatable causes.
Pain and swelling in your hip or leg with breathlessness or chest pain: call 999 or go to A&E, and do not drive yourself. It can be a blood clot that has reached the lungs.
If the hip was replaced: severe hip pain, a leg that looks shorter or is turned unusually far in or out, a new bulge at the side of the hip, or walking that is suddenly difficult or painful can mean it has dislocated. Don't walk on it; go to A&E straight away.
Throbbing or cramping pain in your hip or leg: ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111. It could be a blood clot.
A high temperature, or feeling hot, cold or shivery; oozing or pus from the wound; or redness, tenderness, swelling or pain in your hip or leg that is not getting better or is getting worse: ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111. These can be signs of an infection. If you feel unwell or feverish and the wound looks infected, go to A&E.
Cold, pale or blue toes, or new pins and needles, numbness or weakness in the leg or foot: get medical help straight away.

See a doctor or physiotherapist if

Swelling that looks excessive, or doesn't go down overnight or when you raise the leg: contact your GP for advice.
New or worsening pain, a limp or loss of function months or years after the operation: see your GP, who should refer you back to the orthopaedic team.
Another fall, feeling unsteady, or being afraid of falling: ask your GP about a falls assessment. You may be able to refer yourself to a falls service without seeing a GP.
No one has talked to you about bone-strengthening treatment, or you've stopped taking it: ask your GP or the fracture liaison service.
No contact from community physiotherapy or reablement in the days after getting home: phone the hospital therapy team. UK physiotherapy standards ask for the next team to see you within 72 hours of leaving hospital.

Understand it

What a broken hip is

A broken hip is a break at the top of the thigh bone (femur), just below the ball of the hip joint. Doctors may call it a fractured neck of femur or a fracture of the proximal femur. In younger people it usually follows a high-energy injury such as a road crash, which this guide doesn't cover.

Where the break is decides the operation. Inside the joint capsule, a break that hasn't moved is held with screws or a plate; one that has moved usually damages the blood supply to the ball, so the ball is replaced (a hemiarthroplasty, or half a hip) or the whole joint is (a total hip replacement). Just outside the capsule, a sliding hip screw and plate or a nail holds the bone, and lower down, below the bony bumps at the top of the thigh, a nail inside the bone.

Sources 1, 2, 3

Who breaks a hip

In 2024, 71,885 people were admitted with a broken hip in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Their average age was about 82, 69% were women, and about two-thirds were 80 or over. One in three people over 65 falls each year, and with bones weakened by age or osteoporosis, a fall from standing height can break a hip. Three in every 100 broken hips happen in a fall in hospital.

Over 40% of people who break a hip have dementia or other memory problems. Men who break a hip tend to be less healthy and make a poorer recovery.

Sources 4, 1, 5

How it's recognised

Pain in the hip, upper thigh or groin, being unable to stand or put weight on the leg, difficulty moving it, a leg that looks shorter or is turned outward, and swelling or bruising. Some people with a break that hasn't moved can still walk, painfully, so walking doesn't rule it out.

Most breaks show on an X-ray. If a break is still suspected with a normal X-ray, NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) recommends an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan, or a CT (computed tomography) scan if MRI isn't available within 24 hours. Everyone should be checked for delirium when they arrive: two-thirds of delirium is already present then.

Sources 6, 2, 3, 4

What happens in hospital, step by step

These are the standards NICE and the national audit set, and what the patient booklet describes. Hospitals differ, and your team's plan comes first.

Pain relief straight away, including for people with memory problems: paracetamol, stronger painkillers if needed, and often a nerve block, an injection near the groin that numbs the hip (76% had one in 2024). Anti-inflammatory painkillers (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen are not recommended.
Care led by a doctor who specialises in older people (an orthogeriatrician), working with the surgeons from admission.
The operation on the day of, or the day after, admission, once problems that can be corrected, such as anaemia, blood thinners, dehydration, infection or an irregular heartbeat, have been treated. In 2024, 58% had surgery by the day after they arrived, against 68% in 2019.
Getting up the day after surgery with a physiotherapist, then at least every day. The operation should let you put full weight on the leg straight away.
Blood-thinning injections or tablets for about a month if the risk of a clot outweighs the risk of bleeding, sometimes stockings for up to 6 weeks, pressure-relieving mattresses, and help with bladder and bowels. Strong painkillers cause constipation, so laxatives are usual.
Help with eating and drinking: extra calories, protein and fluids, with families welcome at mealtimes.
Planning for home: an occupational therapist asks about your home, chair and bed heights and stairs, and may arrange equipment such as a raised toilet seat. The stay is usually 1 to 4 weeks; the national average is about 20 days, and some people go home in 5 to 7.
After you go home there's usually no routine clinic appointment, but the hospital may phone at about 4 weeks and 4 months to check on progress and bone treatment.

Sources 3, 4, 1, 7, 8, 9

Delirium: what families should know

Delirium is sudden confusion, or a person who becomes unusually quiet, withdrawn or drowsy. It is common after a broken hip and can come from pain, painkillers, infection, constipation, missed meals, the fall itself or the unfamiliar ward. Staff may assume it is dementia, so tell them straight away if it isn't normal for the person.

Families help by offering reassurance, explaining things in short, simple sentences, making sure the person can see a clock or calendar, bringing in familiar things, and helping with eating and drinking. Clean glasses and working hearing aids matter too.

Sources 7, 10, 4

How this differs from a planned hip replacement

If the hip was replaced after the break, many of the exercises are the same as after a planned hip replacement, and our hip replacement guide explains precautions. The differences: a broken hip follows a fall, often in someone older and less well, with no time to prepare; the hospital stay is longer; delirium, eating and pressure care matter more; the aim is to get back to how the person was before the fall rather than better; and a falls assessment and bone-strengthening treatment should follow. After a hemiarthroplasty, NICE suggests the side (anterolateral) approach rather than one from the back.

Sources 1, 7, 3

Recovery and outcomes: the honest numbers

These are averages from large groups of people. They can't predict what will happen to one person, and the team looking after you can say more.

Most people survive the operation and the weeks after it: 99 in 100 survive surgery, and 94% are alive a month after the fracture. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, deaths in that first month have halved since 2007, from 11%. Some people already have other illnesses that cause problems in the weeks after the operation.

Across studies from 36 countries, about 1 in 5 people died within a year of a broken hip (22% on average), fewer than the 30% often quoted in the past. Death rates depend a lot on a person's age and other health problems.

Across 38 studies that followed people up, 40% to 60% got back the walking and everyday activities they managed before, 40% to 70% their self-care, and 10% to 20% moved into a care home. Most of the recovery in walking comes in the first 6 months, but in one study getting up from a chair and walking short distances unaided took 10 to 14 months to recover. People who lived in a care home before recovered less. The NHS says you may not get back the same strength and movement, and may need a stick or frame.

A quarter of people who break a hip have another fracture within 5 years, which is why the falls and bone checks matter.

Sources 4, 11, 12, 6

What helps, and how strong the evidence is

Surgery within a day or so; faster still didn't helpStrong evidence

NICE asks for surgery on the day of, or the day after, admission. Across 28 studies that followed 31,242 people, surgery within 48 hours went with a 20% lower risk of dying within a year and fewer complications (8% against 17%); surgery within 24 hours added nothing measurable. These were observational studies, which can't prove cause.

In the HIP ATTACK trial (2,970 people in 17 countries), aiming for surgery within about 6 hours rather than 24 did not lower deaths (9% against 10%) or major complications (22% in both) at 90 days. A short delay to treat problems such as anaemia or blood thinners is normal.

Sources 3, 13, 14

A total or a half replacement: similar resultsStrong evidence

In the HEALTH trial (1,495 people aged 50 or over who walked independently before the fracture), further hip operations within 2 years were similar after a total hip replacement and a hemiarthroplasty (7.9% against 8.3%). Dislocation was more common after a total replacement (4.7% against 2.4%), and function was only slightly better, by an amount unlikely to matter. NICE suggests a total replacement for people who walked independently outdoors with no more than a stick, are fit for it and are expected to manage daily activities independently beyond 2 years.

Sources 15, 3

Up the day after surgery, with full weightStrong evidence

NICE asks for an operation that lets you put full weight on the leg straight away, and for a physiotherapy assessment and getting up on the day after surgery, then at least daily. In 2024, 94.5% of people were recorded as allowed full weight. The British Orthopaedic Association asks that any limit on weight comes with a written reason, a plain description and a time to review it, and the Fragility Fracture Network supports full weight-bearing. In a national audit review, most people were allowed full weight, but nine hospitals limited it for 10% or more of their patients.

In 10 mostly observational studies (5,806 people), full weight-bearing went with fewer deaths over the long term (low certainty) and no more complications or repeat operations. In a cohort of 1,514 people aged 65 and over, limiting weight didn't itself change deaths within 30 days, but it went with more leg clots, and people who didn't get the chance to get up the day after surgery had more than twice the odds of dying within 30 days. UK physiotherapy standards ask for physiotherapy every day in hospital.

Sources 3, 16, 4, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21

Rehabilitation helps, by modest amountsStrong evidence

In a Cochrane review, rehabilitation in hospital by a team supervised by a geriatrician or rehabilitation doctor probably reduced a poor outcome (death, or moving into more care) at 6 to 12 months, from about 347 to 306 in every 1,000 people (13 trials, 3,036 people, moderate certainty).

In another Cochrane review, walking, balance and everyday-task training in hospital probably improved mobility moderately (moderate certainty). After discharge, mobility programmes improved mobility and walking speed by small but worthwhile amounts (high certainty). The people in these trials averaged 80 years old, and 70% of the trials left out people with memory problems.

A US physical therapy guideline gives its top grade to progressive strength, balance, weight-bearing and everyday-task training, and to more therapy if strength, balance or function problems remain 8 to 16 weeks after the fracture.

Sources 22, 23, 24

Exercise at home after rehab: trials disagreeMixed evidence

In a US trial of 232 people who had finished their usual rehab, a 6-month home programme of standing up from a chair, step-ups and standing exercises, taught in 3 home visits and done alone 3 times a week, improved a physical performance score by 0.8 points out of 12 more than a comparison group. The authors called the gain modest; it lasted to 9 months.

In the US CAP trial (210 people), 16 weeks of home physiotherapy with aerobic, strength and balance training didn't significantly increase how many people could walk in the community (22.9% against 17.8%), compared with gentle movement exercises from the same number of visits. A small trial of 26 people found 10 weeks of home leg strengthening improved strength and walking a year after the fracture.

Sources 25, 26, 27

Dementia: the same rehabilitationEmerging evidence

A Cochrane review found no rehabilitation programmes designed specifically for people with dementia after a broken hip. In smaller groups within trials, enhanced care in hospital may have reduced delirium, and care led by a geriatrician may have shortened the stay by about 4 days (low certainty). The US physical therapy guideline recommends the same rehabilitation for people with mild to moderate dementia, and NICE says people from care homes shouldn't be left out of rehabilitation.

Sources 5, 24, 3

Eating wellEmerging evidence

In 41 trials (3,881 people), drinks or supplements with extra energy and protein may have reduced complications after a broken hip (low-quality evidence), with little effect on survival; feeding through a tube was poorly tolerated. The family carers' guide calls nourishing food and plenty of fluids essential to recovery, and asks families to help at mealtimes and to tell staff about anything stopping the person eating.

Sources 28, 7

Hip precautions after a half replacementEmerging evidence

Some teams give hip precautions after a replacement for a fracture, and many don't. In a study of 394 people who had a hemiarthroplasty through the side of the hip, there was one dislocation with precautions and one without, and no difference in other outcomes. It was one study, and dislocation is rare. Follow the precautions your team gives you; our hip replacement guide explains them.

Sources 29, 3

Falls and bones: the next stepsStrong evidence

NICE says anyone who needed treatment after a fall should be offered a falls assessment, covering strength, walking and balance, eyesight, hearing, medicines, blood pressure on standing, continence, footwear, memory and bone health, followed by a home hazard check and a falls prevention exercise programme. The World Falls Guidelines recommend an individual, progressive exercise programme after a broken hip, started in hospital and continued at home; for older people at risk of falls, balance and everyday-task exercise 3 or more times a week, progressed for at least 12 weeks. The NHS balance exercises, such as standing on one leg by a wall, sideways walking and step-ups, are a simple place to start at home.

NICE's osteoporosis guideline asks for a fracture risk assessment after a fragility fracture (a break from a fall from standing height or less) at 50 or over, and recommends considering bone-strengthening treatment after a broken hip like this. In 2024, 56% of people were on bone treatment 4 months after a broken hip. Osteoporosis doesn't stop the bone healing.

Sources 30, 31, 32, 33, 4, 34

How much pain is OK while you exercise?

Pain relief first, then an ache that settlesEmerging evidence

With good pain relief you should be able to get up and start moving; tell a nurse if pain is stopping you. One NHS trust says worries about addiction shouldn't stop you taking the painkillers you're prescribed, because most people need strong painkillers after this injury. Another suggests doing the exercises about 20 minutes after pain relief.

Then, as after a planned hip replacement: a moderate ache that settles quickly is fine; severe pain that takes hours to settle is not; stop for a sharp pain. Pain at night is a sign you've overdone it, so don't do more the next day until it has settled. Feeling your muscles working, or slight soreness the next day, is normal.

Someone with dementia may show pain by becoming agitated rather than asking for painkillers, so families should tell staff. Never push into a movement your team has ruled out. This is practical advice from NHS teams, not a tested rule.

Sources 1, 9, 35, 36, 37, 7

The exercise plan: 4 stages

Start at the first stage. Each move opens a full guide with a 3D demo.

Stage 1

In hospital: up and moving from the day after surgery (about the first 1 to 3 weeks, as your team allows)

As your team allows. Get out of bed and sit in a chair the day after surgery, with the physiotherapist or nurses, and walk with a frame, taking full weight unless your team says otherwise. Get dressed and sit out for meals rather than staying in bed in nightclothes. Do the bed and chair exercises 5 to 10 times each, 3 to 4 times a day (one NHS trust's dose), about 20 minutes after pain relief, and stay inside any precautions your team gives you. Families can bring loose clothes, shoes or slippers with backs, glasses and hearing aids.

Ankle circles demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoAnkle circlesBeginner · No equipment

Pump both ankles up and down briskly for at least 30 s every hour, then circle each ankle · In bed or sitting, for the circulation. An NHS trust's dose

Harder: Ankle CARs

Quad set (static quads) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoQuad set (static quads)Beginner · No equipment

Hold 5 s, 10 times · Pull the toes up and push the back of the knee down. An NHS trust's dose

Harder: Straight-leg raise

Supine heel slide demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSupine heel slideBeginner · No equipment

10 times · Slide the heel up the bed and back; a plastic bag under the heel makes it easier. Stay within any bending limit your team gives you. An NHS trust's dose

Harder: Hip Windshield Wipers

Supine isometric hip abduction (belt press) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSupine isometric hip abduction (belt press)Beginner · A band

3 to 5 gentle holds of 5 to 10 s (this move's starting dose) · NHS leaflets slide the straight leg out to the side and back on the bed instead, 10 times; both work the same muscles. Keep inside your precautions

Harder: Lateral band walk

Seated knee extension (chair) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSeated knee extension (chair)Beginner · A bench or box + Something with weight

Straighten the knee and hold 5 s, 10 times, no weight · Sitting in a supportive chair. An NHS trust's dose

Easier: Quad set (static quads) · Harder: Leg extension

Seated march demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSeated marchBeginner · A bench or box

10 lifts each leg, as far as is comfortable · Keep the lift low after a hip replacement unless your surgeon says otherwise. An NHS trust's dose

Harder: Standing march

Move on when: You can get in and out of bed and a chair, walk short distances with your frame or sticks (with help if you need it), manage the toilet and any stairs or steps at home, and your team agrees a plan for going home.

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 2

Home or a rehabilitation ward: walk more, add standing exercises (about weeks 1 to 6, as your team allows)

As your team allows. Community rehabilitation should start within 72 hours of leaving hospital. Walk little and often: shorter walks more often are better than one long one. On stairs, the good leg goes up first and the operated leg comes down first. Start standing exercises once a therapist has checked you, always holding a worktop or the back of a sturdy chair. Keep eating well and keep taking any bone treatment.

Standing march demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoStanding marchBeginner · No equipment

1 to 2 minutes, holding a support · The Otago home programme's warm-up

Harder: Standing band hip flexion

Wall side leg lift (standing side kick at the wall) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoWall side leg lift (standing side kick at the wall)Beginner · A wall

Up for a slow count of 3 and down for 5, up to 10 each leg · Holding a support, toes pointing forward. One NHS trust stands on the good leg for the first 6 weeks. The Otago programme's dose

Harder: Lateral band walk, band at the feet

Standing band hip extension demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoStanding band hip extensionBeginner · A band + An anchor point

10 times each leg, no band · Holding a support, take the straight leg back without leaning forward. Skip it if your team limits taking the leg behind you. An NHS trust's dose

Harder: Back extension on a 45-degree bench

Slow calf raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSlow calf raiseBeginner · A wall

Up for a count of 3 and down for 5, 10 to 20 times, holding on · The Otago programme's dose

Easier: Seated bent-knee calf raise (soleus raise) · Harder: Standing dumbbell calf raise

Sit to stand, pushing on the thighs demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSit to stand, pushing on the thighsBeginner · A bench or box

Up to 10, slowly, using your hands as needed · The Otago programme's dose

Harder: Bodyweight squat

Treadmill walking demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoTreadmill walkingBeginner · Cardio machine

Short walks several times a day, indoors first with your aid, then outside · Walking at home or outdoors counts; no treadmill needed. Editorial

Harder: Treadmill jogging

Move on when: You walk around the home confidently with your aid, manage your stairs or steps, and the standing exercises feel easy (editorial).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 3

Strength and balance: 3 times a week for at least 12 weeks (from about week 6, as your team allows)

As your team allows. This is the heart of recovery and of preventing falls: progressive strength, balance and everyday-task practice, at least 3 times a week, made harder over at least 12 weeks. In one trial, people did standing-up, step and standing exercises 3 times a week for 6 months. As your balance improves, use less hand support, letting go one finger at a time. If you're not back to your usual level by about 2 to 4 months after the fracture, ask for more therapy. The timed up and go and chair stand tests can track progress.

Sit to stand from a chair demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSit to stand from a chairBeginner · A bench or box

Up to 10, lowering slowly; build to 2 to 3 sets · Hands only if needed. Clear it with your team after recent hip surgery. Up to 10 is the Otago programme's dose; the sets are editorial

Harder: Bodyweight squat

Low step-up demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoLow step-upBeginner · A step

Up to 5 each leg, slowly, holding a rail; build to 8 to 12 · Then a normal stair. The first dose is the NHS balance exercises'; the build is editorial

Harder: Step-up

Semi-tandem stance demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSemi-tandem stanceBeginner · A wall

Hold 10 s with a hand on the support, then without · Then heel to toe, one foot directly in front of the other. Editorial dose

Harder: Tandem stance and heel-to-toe walk

Single-leg stand demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSingle-leg standBeginner · A wall

Fingertips on a wall: hold 5 to 10 s, 3 times each side; build to 30 s · The first dose is the NHS balance exercises'; 30 s is editorial

Easier: Tandem stance and heel-to-toe walk · Harder: Single Leg Reach Matrix

Side-stepping (sideways walking) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSide-stepping (sideways walking)Beginner · A wall

10 steps each way along a worktop · The NHS balance exercises' dose

Harder: Lateral band walk

Get Up and Down from the Floor demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoGet Up and Down from the FloorBeginner · No equipment

2 to 3 practice runs a session, once you've been taught · Learn it with a physiotherapist first, starting with the last step, with someone present and a sturdy chair close by. Check which positions your team allows. Editorial dose

Easier: Sit to stand from a chair · Harder: Bodyweight get-up

Move on when: Keep going. Progress one thing at a time: less support, more repetitions or a higher step. If you've fallen since the fracture, or are afraid of falling, ask about a falls service.

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 4

The long term: outdoors, activities and keeping strong (from about 3 months, as your team allows)

As your team allows. Walk outdoors and get back to the activities you value: one NHS trust lists cycling, swimming, golf, dancing, riding and sailing after 3 months, and advises against running and jumping after this operation. Keep strength and balance work going at least twice a week for good, walk most days, and keep taking any bone treatment. These doses are editorial.

3D demoTreadmill walkingBeginner · Cardio machine

Build to 20 to 30 minutes on most days, outdoors or in

Harder: Treadmill jogging

3D demoStep-upBeginner · A step

2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 each leg, holding a rail

Easier: Low step-up · Harder: Dumbbell step-up

3D demoSit to stand from a chairBeginner · A bench or box

3 sets of 8 to 12, no hands, lowering slowly

Harder: Bodyweight squat

Tandem stance and heel-to-toe walk demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoTandem stance and heel-to-toe walkBeginner · A wall

10 heel-to-toe steps, with less and less support · The NHS heel-to-toe walk; the number is editorial

Easier: Semi-tandem stance · Harder: Single-leg stand

Tibialis raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoTibialis raiseBeginner · No equipment

5 to 10 slow lifts, holding a support · The Otago programme does seated toe raises; standing adds balance

Harder: Single-leg tibialis raise

Stationary cycling demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoStationary cyclingBeginner · Cardio machine

10 to 20 minutes, once your team agrees · Cycling is on one NHS trust's list from 3 months

Harder: Air bike intervals

Move on when: This is the stage to keep going with. If walking, stairs or balance get worse rather than better, see your GP.

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

What to change for now

Typical timings, which your team may change

These come from the NHS, the national patient booklet, UK physiotherapy standards and one NHS trust. Your own team's advice comes first.

Hospital stay: usually 1 to 4 weeks; about 20 days on average.
Community rehabilitation: should start within 72 hours of leaving hospital.
Follow-up: often a phone call at about 4 weeks and 4 months rather than a clinic visit.
Washing: strip-wash at first; a shower once the dressing comes off at about 14 days, if it's safe; no bath, or shower over a bath, for at least 6 weeks.
Driving: not usually for 6 to 8 weeks. You must be fit to drive, and you should contact your insurer.
Activities: cycling, swimming, golf and dancing after about 3 months.

Sources 6, 1, 21, 9

Families: how to help

The family carers' guide, written with patients and carers, suggests:

Bring glasses, hearing aids, loose comfortable clothes and shoes or slippers with backs.
Tell staff what the person is normally like, and straight away if they become confused, quiet or drowsy.
Help at mealtimes, and tell staff about anything stopping them eating or drinking.
Ask what rehabilitation will be available after discharge, and for the hospital therapy team's contact details.
If you'll be helping at home, ask about a carer's assessment.
Encourage the exercises the physiotherapist recommends, and celebrate small steps.

Sources 7, 10, 1

At home: make another fall less likely

Ask for a home hazard check, ideally by an occupational therapist: clear clutter, loose rugs and trailing wires, use night lights for trips to the toilet, and use a firm, higher chair with arms. Have your eyes and hearing checked, and ask a GP or pharmacist whether any medicines affect your balance. Learn how to get up after a fall, and what to do if you can't.

Sources 30, 38, 9

Positions to swap, and why

Habit or position	Why it matters	Instead
Staying in bed, or in nightclothes all day	Time in bed quickly costs strength and safe walking; getting dressed and sitting out helps independence.	Get dressed, sit out for meals, and walk to the toilet with help.Try: Sit to stand, pushing on the thighs
Refusing painkillers for fear of addiction	Pain that stops you standing holds the recovery back.	Take them as prescribed, and exercise about 20 minutes after a dose.
Keeping weight off the leg to let it knit	The operation aims to let you take full weight straight away; any limit should come with a written reason.	Follow your written weight-bearing instruction, and ask why if it's limited.
Leading upstairs with the operated leg	One NHS trust's rule is good leg up, operated leg down.	Rail in one hand, aid in the other, as you were shown.Try: Low step-up
Low, soft chairs and sofas	They make standing up hard, and may break precautions.	A firm, higher chair with arms; furniture raisers from the occupational therapist.Try: Sit to stand from a chair
Loose rugs, clutter and dark night-time trips to the toilet	Most broken hips follow a fall.	A home hazard check, night lights and clear floors.
Stopping the exercises when the visits end	The gains in trials came from months of exercise, 3 times a week.	Keep a strength and balance session going 3 times a week.Try: Semi-tandem stance
Stopping bone treatment or vitamin D	A quarter of people have another fracture, and vitamin D is needed long term alongside bone treatment.	Keep taking it, and ask your GP about any side effects.
Running and jumping	One NHS trust advises against them after a hip fracture operation.	Walking, cycling, swimming, golf and dancing after about 3 months.Try: Stationary cycling

Routines to follow

Chair exercises for seniors: a seated workout

A 20-minute seated workout for older adults who cannot stand for long: marching, leg and arm strength, posture, and sit-to-stands that lead back to standing.

20 minBeginner11 movesA bench or box, Something with weight

Strength and balance exercises for seniors

A 40-minute strength and balance session for over-65s, built from the Otago home programme and NHS exercises, using a chair, a counter and a step.

40 minBeginner18 movesA bench or box, Something with weight

Balance exercises routine

Balance practice in 10 minutes: tandem stance, single-leg stands, marches, heel walks, tree pose and floor transfers.

10 minBeginner7 movesA wall, A bench or box

10-minute starter workout

A 10-minute session for low-energy days: marching, sit-to-stands, wall push-ups, step-ups and bridges, then a short walk. Doing a little counts.

10 minBeginner7 movesA bench or box, A wall

More moves for this area

Questions people ask

How long does it take to recover from a broken hip?

The bone usually heals in several weeks to months, but getting back to everyday life takes longer. Most of the recovery in walking comes in the first 6 months, and some continues for about a year. Some people don't get back the same strength and movement and need a stick or frame.

How long will they be in hospital?

Usually 1 to 4 weeks; the national average is about 20 days, and some people go home in 5 to 7. It depends on how well and mobile the person was before, how they cope with the operation and rehab, and how much help there is at home.

When is the operation, and what will it be?

NICE asks for surgery on the day of, or the day after, admission. Depending on where the break is, the bone is held with screws, a plate or a nail, or the ball of the joint is replaced (a hemiarthroplasty) or the whole joint (a total hip replacement). In a large trial, the two kinds of replacement needed further operations about equally often.

When can they walk?

The operation aims to let you put full weight on the leg straight away, and most people get out of bed the day after surgery with a frame. In 2024, 94.5% of people were allowed full weight. If you're told not to put weight on it, ask why and for how long.

What exercises help after a broken hip?

In hospital: ankle pumps, thigh tightening, knee bends and straightening the knee while sitting, several times a day. At home: standing exercises at a worktop, then strength and balance work such as standing up from a chair, step-ups and heel-to-toe walking, 3 times a week for at least 12 weeks. Programmes like this improve walking and mobility, though by modest amounts.

What is delirium, and how can family help?

Delirium is sudden confusion, or being unusually quiet or drowsy, and it is common after a broken hip. Tell the staff straight away, especially if it isn't normal for the person. Bring glasses, hearing aids and familiar things, help at mealtimes, and reassure them.

Will they get back to how they were before?

Across many studies, 40% to 60% of people got back the walking and everyday activities they managed before, and 10% to 20% moved into a care home. People who were more mobile and healthier before the fracture tend to do better. Rehabilitation and exercise improve mobility, by modest amounts.

What is the life expectancy after a broken hip?

94% of people are alive a month after a broken hip, and deaths in that first month have halved since 2007. Across studies from 36 countries, about 1 in 5 people died within a year. These are averages that depend a lot on age and other health problems, so ask the team what they expect for the person you care about.

Is it the same as a hip replacement?

Sometimes the operation is a replacement, and many of the exercises are the same. But a broken hip follows a fall, the stay is longer, and delirium, falls and bone health need attention too. Follow any precautions your team gives you; our hip replacement guide explains them.

How can we stop another fall or fracture?

Ask for a falls assessment, including a home check and a review of medicines, and keep up strength and balance exercise. Ask about bone-strengthening treatment too: NICE recommends considering it after a broken hip from a fall, and a quarter of people have another fracture.

Does dementia change the rehabilitation?

People with mild to moderate dementia should be offered the same rehabilitation, and people who live in care homes shouldn't be left out. Over 40% of people who break a hip have memory problems, and families can help with routines, pain and eating.

When can they drive or have a bath?

One NHS trust advises against driving for 6 to 8 weeks, and against a bath or a shower over the bath for at least 6 weeks. Check with your team, and with your insurer before driving.

Other pain guides

Sources

Exercise education, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. It is written from the guidelines and studies listed above; review by a clinician is pending. If your pain follows an injury, is severe, is getting worse, or comes with any warning sign listed on this page, get it assessed. Health disclaimer.