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Background: In order to improve quality of care and recovery after hip fracture we need to include the perspectives of the individual older adults when evaluating different rehabilitation interventions. The aim of this study was therefore to explore older adults’ experiences of their rehabilitation after a hip fracture and of the recovery process during the 12 months following the fracture. Methods: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 older adults (70–91 years of age) who had participated in a randomised controlled trial evaluating the effects of early discharge followed by geriatric interdisciplinary home rehabilitation compared to in-hospital care according to a multifactorial rehabilitation program. Ten participants from each group were interviewed shortly after the one-year follow-up when the study was completed. Data were analysed with qualitative content analysis. Results: The analysis resulted in four themes: Moving towards recovery with the help of others; Getting to know a new me; Striving for independence despite obstacles; and Adapting to an altered but acceptable life. The participants emphasised the importance of having access to rehabilitation that was provided by skilled staff, and support from family members and friends for well-being and recovery. They experienced a change in their self-image but strove for independence despite struggling with complications and functional limitations and used adaptive strategies to find contentment in their lives. Conclusions: Rehabilitation interventions provided by competent health care professionals, as well as support from family members and friends, were emphasised as crucial for satisfactory recovery. Participants’ experiences further highlight the importance of targeting both physical and psychological impacts after a hip fracture. To improve recovery, rehabilitation providers should customise future interventions to suit each individual´s wishes and needs and provide rehabilitation in various settings throughout the recovery process. Trial registration: The trial is registered at Current Controlled Trials Ltd, ICRCTN 15738119. Date of registration 16/06/2008, retrospectively registered.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of early discharge followed by geriatric interdisciplinary home rehabilitation for older people with hip fracture on independence in activities of daily living (ADL) compared with inhospital geriatric care according to a multifactorial rehabilitation program.

Design: Planned analysis of a randomized controlled trial with 3- and 12-month follow-ups.

Setting: Geriatric ward, ordinary housing, and residential care facilities.

Participants: Of 466 people screened for eligibility, participants (N=205) with acute hip fracture, aged 70 years or older, including those with cognitive impairment and those living in residential care facilities, were randomized to intervention or control groups.

Intervention: Individually designed interdisciplinary home rehabilitation for a maximum of 10 weeks. The intervention aimed at early hospital discharge and focused on prevention of falls, independence in daily activities, and walking ability indoors and outdoors.

Main Outcome Measures: Independence in ADL was measured using the Barthel ADL Index, and the ADL Staircase including the Katz ADL Index during hospital stay (prefracture performance) and at the follow-up visits in the participants’ homes.

Results: There were no significant differences in ADL performance between the groups, and they recovered their prefracture level of independence in personal and instrumental ADL comparably. At 12 months, 33 (41.3%) in the intervention group vs 33 (41.8%) in the control group (P=.99) had regained or improved their prefracture ADL performance according to the Barthel ADL Index, and 27 (37.0%) vs 36 (48.6%) according to the ADL Staircase (P=.207).

Conclusions: In older people with hip fracture, early discharge followed by geriatric interdisciplinary home rehabilitation resulted in a comparable recovery of independence in ADL at 3 and 12 months as inhospital geriatric care and rehabilitation.

Purpose: To investigate if the effects of geriatric interdisciplinary home rehabilitation after hip fracture were different among people with dementia compared to those without dementia and to describe the overall outcome after hip fracture in people with dementia. Patients and Methods: A post hoc subgroup analysis of a randomized controlled trial was conducted including 205 people with hip fracture, aged >70, living in ordinary housing or residential care facilities. Early discharge followed by individually designed interdisciplinary home rehabilitation for a maximum of 10 weeks was compared to in-hospital geriatric care according to a multifactorial rehabilitation program. Outcomes were hospital length of stay (LOS), readmissions, falls, mortality, performance in activities of daily living (ADL), and walking ability. Results: Interdisciplinary home rehabilitation vs in-hospital care had comparable effects on falls and mortality between discharge and 12 months and on ADL and walking ability at 3 and 12 months regardless of whether the participants had dementia or not (P 0.05 for all). Among participants with dementia, postoperative LOS was a median of 18 days (interquartile range [IQR] 14-30) in the home rehabilitation group vs 23 days (IQR 15-30) in the control group (P=0.254) with comparable numbers of readmissions after discharge. Dementia was associated with increased risk of falling (odds ratio [OR] 3.86; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.05-7.27; P<0.001) and increased mortality (OR 4.20; 95% CI 1.79-9.92, P=0.001) between discharge and 12 months and with greater dependence in ADL and walking at 3 and 12 months compared to participants without dementia (P<0.001 for all). Conclusion: The effects of geriatric interdisciplinary home rehabilitation vs in-hospital geriatric care did not differ in participants with and without dementia. However, the statistical power of this subgroup analysis was likely insufficient to detect differences between the groups. Dementia was associated with a substantial negative impact on the outcomes following the hip fracture. Our findings support offering interdisciplinary home rehabilitation after hip fracture to people with dementia.

Objective: This pre-planned secondary analysis of geriatric interdisciplinary home rehabilitation, which was initially found to shorten the postoperative length of stay in hospital for older individuals following hip fracture, investigated whether such rehabilitation reduced the numbers of complications, readmissions, and total days spent in hospital after discharge during a 12-month follow-up period compared with conventional geriatric care and rehabilitation.

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Geriatric department, participants' residential care facilities, and ordinary housing.

Subjects: Individuals aged ⩾70 years with acute hip fracture (n = 205) were included.

Intervention: Geriatric interdisciplinary home rehabilitation was individually designed and aimed at early discharge with the intention to prevent, detect, and treat complications after discharge.

Main measures: Complications, readmissions, and days spent in hospital were registered from patients' digital records and interviews conducted during hospitalization and at 3- and 12-month follow-up visits.

Results: No significant difference in outcomes was observed. Between discharge and the 12-month follow-up, among participants in the geriatric interdisciplinary home rehabilitation group (n = 106) and control group (n = 93), 57 (53.8%) and 44 (47.3%) had complications (P = 0.443), 46 (43.4%) and 38 (40.9%) fell (P = 0.828), and 38 (35.8%) and 27 (29.0%) were readmitted to hospital (P = 0.383); the median total days spent in hospital were 11.5 and 11.0 (P = 0.353), respectively.

Conclusion: Geriatric interdisciplinary home rehabilitation for older individuals following hip fracture resulted in similar proportions of complications, readmissions, and total days spent in hospital after discharge compared with conventional geriatric care and rehabilitation.

Objectives It remains unclear to what extent postoperative delirium (POD) affects the incidence of dementia in hip fracture patients, and the methods used to detect delirium and dementia require validation. The aim of this study was to investigate the development of dementia within 3 years of femoral neck fracture repair surgery, with a focus on POD as a potential predictive factor.

Methods Patients were assessed for cognition, delirium, depression, psychological well-being, and nutritional status during their hospitalization as well as 4, 12, and 36 months after the operation. Logistic regression models were used to analyse factors associated with POD and factors associated with the development of dementia.

Results The study sample consisted of 135 patients without a history of dementia, of whom 20 (14.8%) were delirious preoperatively and 75 (55.5%) postoperatively. Three years after their operations, 43/135 patients (31.8%) were diagnosed with dementia. A greater portion of patients diagnosed with dementia (39/43, 90.6%) than patients with no dementia (36/92, 39.1%) were included among the 75 patients who had experienced POD (P<0.001). In a logistic regression model, after adjustment for covariates (age, sex, diabetes, delirium pre- and postoperatively, hyperactive delirium, days with delirium, urinary tract infection, and Mini Nutritional Assessment score), POD emerged an independent predictor for the development of new dementia (odds ratio, 15.6; 95% confidence interval, 2.6-91.6) within 3 years after the operation.

Conclusion Geriatric hip fracture patients who exhibit POD should be monitored closely for the development of dementia.

Background: The poor outcome after a hip fracture is not fully understood. The aim of the study was to describe the prevalence of co-morbidities, complications and causes of death and to investigate factors that are able to predict mortality in old people with femoral neck fracture. Methods: Data was obtained from a randomized, controlled trial with a 3-year follow-up at Umea University Hospital, Sweden, which included 199 consecutive patients with femoral neck fracture, aged >= 70 years. The participants were assessed during hospitalization and in their homes 4, 12 and 36 months after surgery. Medical records and death certificates were analysed. Results: Multivariate analysis revealed that cancer, dependence in P-ADL (Personal Activities of Daily Living), cardiovascular disease, dementia at baseline or pulmonary emboli or cardiac failure during hospitalization were all independent predictors of 3-year mortality. Seventy-nine out of 199 participants (40 %) died within 3 years. Cardiovascular events (24 %), dementia (23 %), hip-fracture (19 %) and cancer (13 %) were the most common primary causes of death. In total, 136 participants suffered at least one urinary tract infection; 114 suffered 542 falls and 37 sustained 56 new fractures, including 13 hip fractures, during follow-up. Conclusion: Old people with femoral neck fracture have multiple co-morbidities and suffer numerous complications. Thus randomized intervention studies should focus on prevention of complications that might be avoidable such as infections, heart diseases, falls and fractures.

Objective: To evaluate if Geriatric Interdisciplinary Home Rehabilitation could improve walking ability for older people with hip fracture compared with conventional geriatric care and rehabilitation. A secondary aim was to investigate the postoperative length of hospital stay (LOS).

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Geriatric ward, ordinary housing, and residential care facilities.

Participants: People operated on for a hip fracture (n = 205), aged 70 or older, including those with cognitive impairment, and living in the north of Sweden.

Intervention: Home rehabilitation with the aim of early hospital discharge that was individually designed and carried out by an interdisciplinary team for a maximum of 10 weeks. Special priority was given to prevention of falls, independence in daily activities, and walking ability both indoors and outdoors.

Measurements: Walking ability and the use of walking device was assessed in an interview during the hospital stay. These assessments were repeated along with gait speed measurements at 3- and 12-month follow-up. The length of the hospital stay after the hip fracture was recorded.

Results: No significant differences were observed in walking ability, use of walking device, and gait speed at the 3- and 12-month follow-up between the groups. At 12 months, 56.3% of the intervention group and 57.7% of the control group had regained or improved their prefracture walking ability. The median postoperative LOS in the geriatric ward was 6 days shorter for the intervention group (P = .003).

Conclusion: Participants receiving Geriatric Interdisciplinary Home Rehabilitation regained walking ability in the short-and long-term similar to those receiving conventional geriatric care and rehabilitation according to a multifactorial rehabilitation program. The intervention group had a significantly shorter postoperative LOS in the hospital.

Background: People with cognitive impairment and dementia have a poor outcome after a hip fracture surgery, about 30-50% of all those who sustain a hip fracture have dementia. Therefore the aim was to investigate whether a multidisciplinary postoperative intervention program could reduce postoperative complications and improve functional recovery among people with dementia.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial with subgroup analyses among patients with dementia. Sixty-four patients with femoral neck fracture, aged ≥70 years at Umeå University Hospital, Sweden. The intervention consisted of staff education, individualized care planning and rehabilitation, active prevention, detection and treatment of postoperative complications, especially delirium. The staff worked in teams to apply comprehensive geriatric assessment, management and rehabilitation, including a follow-up at 4 months postoperatively. The control group followed conventional postoperative routines.

Results: There were fewer postoperative complications in the intervention group such as urinary tract infections, p=0.001; nutritional problems, p=0.025; postoperative delirium, p=0.002; falls, p=0.006. At 4 months a larger proportion in the intervention group had regained their previous independent indoor walking ability performance, p=0.005. At 12 months a larger proportion in the intervention group had regained the activities of daily living (ADL) performance level they had before the fracture, p=0.027.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates that patients with dementia who suffer a hip fracture can benefit from multidisciplinary geriatric assessment and rehabilitation and should not be excluded from rehabilitation programs.

This study compares the symptom profile of patients with postoperative delirium after femoral neck fracture surgery in those with and without dementia. In this study, 129 patients of age >= 70 years (mean age +/- SD, 86 +/- 6 yr, 72% women) with postoperative delirium, were included. Delirium and dementia were diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition) criteria. Of the 129 patients with delirium, 54 (42%) had a dementia disorder. Patients with delirium superimposed on dementia more often had any hyperactive and pure emotional delirium. Communication difficulties and symptoms such as restlessness/agitation, aggressive behavior, and irritability were more commonly found in the dementia group. In contrast, patients with delirium but without dementia were more often diagnosed with pure hypoactive and any psychotic delirium. The symptom profile of postoperative delirium varies according to whether it occurs in patients with or without dementia. This may indicate that postoperative delirium among patients with hip fracture differs based on the presence or absence of dementia.

Background: Falls are common in old age and may have serious consequences. There are many strategies to predict and prevent falls from occurring in long-term care and hospitals. The aim of this study was to describe licensed practical nurse experiences of predicting and preventing further falls when working with patients who had experienced a fall-related fracture. Licensed practical nurses are the main caretakers that work most closely with the patients.

Methods: A qualitative study of focus groups interviews and field observations was done. 15 licensed practical nurses from a rehabilitation ward and an acute ward in a hospital in northern Sweden were interviewed. Content was analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

Results: The result of the licensed practical nurse thoughts and experiences about risk of falling and fall prevention work is represented in one theme, "the balancing act". The theme includes three categories: "the right to decide", "the constant watch", and "the ongoing negotiation" as well as nine subcategories. The analysis showed similarities and differences between rehabilitation and acute wards. At both wards it was a core strategy in the licensed practical nurse work to always be ready and to pay attention to patients' appearance and behavior. At the rehabilitation ward, it was an explicit working task to judge the patients' risk of falling and to be active to prevent falls. At the acute ward, the words "risk of falling" were not used and fall prevention were not discussed; instead the licensed practical nurses used for example "dizzy and pale". The results also indicated differences in components that facilitate workplace learning and knowledge transfer.

Conclusions: Differences between the wards are most probably rooted in organizational differences. When it is expected by the leadership, licensed practical nurses can express patient risk of falling, share their observations with others, and take actions to prevent falls. The climate and the structure of the ward are essential if licensed practical nurses are to be encouraged to routinely consider risk of falling and implement risk reduction strategies.