supplements for broken hip?

My mother broke her hip, and is temporarily residing in a nursing home for rehabilitation. What type of additional supplements can she take to speed up her recovery?

Thanks for your question.  Hopefully your mother's appetite is good enough for her to maintain her weight and heal her hip.  Her diet should be a bit higher in calories and protein to aid in healing.  For example, the RDA for protein for healthy adults is .8 gram/kg (1 kg = 2.2 lbs).  To aid in healing, she should be eating closer to 1.2 grams of protein/kg. Also- if she is in rehabilitation for longer than 2 weeks, I'd suggest she have her vitamin D level checked.  Vitamin D deficiency is more common in the elderly and can affect bone health as it is needed for calcium absorption. Additional calcium + vitamin D (1200 mg calcium + 800 IU vitamin D) daily may aid in healing her hip.  If her vitamin D level is low, her doctor may need to replace it with an even higher dose. Finally, she should maintain adequate hydration by drinking plenty of fluid (1.5 -2 liters) daily. Best of luck!