Life After Fracture
A hip fracture is a significant event in the life of older adults and their families. We interviewed about 20 older adults and/or their family members about the experience with hip fracture. Their “words of wisdom” for recovery included: move more, seek support and put things into perspective. Please see a link to the study below.
Move more
Older adults stressed the importance of completing the “physio” exercises. Building balance and strength is essential the physical recovery process. They may prevent future falls and injuries. They also told us that trying to move more and avoid prolonged sitting (if possible).
Seek support
Older adults told us that seeking the support of their families, friends and community helped their recovery. This included receiving support with obtaining assistive devices (such as a walker or shower chair), helping to buy groceries or setting up medical appointments. Older adults talked about the emotional support from people which helped them in the early days after hospital discharge. An interesting point expressed by some older adults was trying to achieve balance between asking and receiving support during the recovery phase, without losing a sense of independence.
Put things into perspective
Study participants discussed the need to remind themselves how far they had come after the hip fracture. They also mentioned progress was often a gradual process. Some people suggested setting recovery goals. Others used a diary to record progress. They told us that they needed to put things into perspective for recovery.
This feedback led to the development of a new educational manual and several videos called the Fracture Recovery for Seniors at Home (FReSH) Start Toolkit.
Schiller C, Franke T, Belle J, Sims-Gould J, Sale J, Ashe MC. Words of wisdom – patient perspectives to guide recovery for older adults after hip fracture: a qualitative study. Patient Preference and Adherence. 2015 Jan 12;9:57-64. doi: 10.2147/PPA.S75657.
