This intervention program may benefit older people with hip fractures in Taiwan by improving their clinical outcomes, self-care abilities, and HRQOL and by decreasing depressive symptoms within 3 months after discharge.

The needs of family caregivers of frail elders during the transition from hospital to home: a Taiwanese sample This study explored the needs of family caregivers during the transition from hospital to home. Data from 37 face-to-face interviews with 16 caregivers before discharge and at 2 weeks and 1 month after discharge were subjected to constant comparative analysis. Findings revealed changes in family caregivers' needs during the discharge transition. While preparing to take caregiving responsibility, caregivers reported a need for various types of information. After the discharge, but before home caregiving settled into a pattern, they needed help with caregiving practices. After reaching a pattern for providing family care, caregivers frequently reported needs for continuous emotional support. These findings provide a basis for transitional care services such as discharge planning and home health care services.

No abstract

To examine the longitudinal changes in overall and individual physical activities of daily living (PADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after hospital discharge in elderly subjects, 110 hip fractured elders (mean+/-SD age, 79.4+/-7.5; 60.9% females) were enrolled in a prospective study. At 12 months following hospital discharge, 56.1% subjects had recovered their overall PADLs, 37.9% had recovered their overall IADLs, and 74.2% could walk independently or with the aide of a cane. When analyzed by generalized estimating equations (GEE), for individual PADL, bathing and climbing stairs had consistently improved at every time point throughout the 1-year follow-up period, while transferring, toileting, and walking ability only improved significantly in the first 3 months after discharge. For individual IADL, the proportion of recovery for mobility appeared to increase significantly during the first 6 months post-discharge, and the remaining IADLs appeared to be stable. These results indicated that the recovery rate is varied for performance of different activities according to the complexity and the involvement of the lower extremities. We also found that less concomitant diseases, and a shorter hospital stay could predict a better recovery trend of overall and of most individual PADLs. These findings may be applicable to other countries with Chinese populations, and could provide a reference for health care providers to develop specific interventions for Chinese hip fractured elders.

The interdisciplinary intervention for hip fracture benefited elderly persons with hip fracture by improving clinical outcomes, self-care ability, and physical health-related outcomes and by decreasing depressive symptoms during the first 24 months after hospital discharge.

Older Chinese patients with stroke and their family caregivers can benefit from an individualised programme that prepares caregivers for patient discharge. Similar programmes may be applicable to other countries with Chinese populations.

The findings of this study indicate the importance of continuance intention in retaining nurses. Nursing managers who face staff retention issues may consider making efforts to improve nurse salary and employer-sponsored benefits.

Greater attention, support, and consultation should be directed at caregivers with low mutuality, less preparedness, and less balance between competing needs. Specifically, family caregivers with low mutuality are at risk of higher role strain and more depressive symptoms. Those in such a category should be identified and should receive intervention as early as possible. Interventions to enhance family caregiver preparedness should be developed to increase caregiving rewards and to improve caregiver mental health.