Exploration of informal caregiving following hip fracture.

Hip fracture, a significant health issue for older adults, is an acute event in which older adults can recover their prefracture functional abilities. The recovery phase is often difficult for older adults, and the role of informal caregivers is particularly important. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore informal caregivers' experiences with providing care to older adults over the first 6-month trajectory of hip fracture recovery and their support needs. Participants (N = 10) were interviewed twice at 0-2 and 5-6 months. Analyses of the verbatim transcripts revealed multiple shared themes. Some themes were consistent across phases, such as hip fracture as a turning point toward a frailer state, feeling tired, frustration with communication issues in health care delivery, and lack of information about caregiving-related activities. Certain themes were phase-specific. For instance, in the early phase, management of hospital bills and transitions between care settings were especially burdensome. The caregiving situation, however, was viewed as an opportunity to spend more time with their loved ones. Findings from this study revealed unmet support needs expressed by caregivers of older adult hip fracture patients. Ongoing research and clinical interventions are needed to establish effective methods to empower these caregivers. Copyright 2010 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.