Consequences of hip fracture on activities of daily life and residential needs

Abstract

The aim of this study was to describe the consequences of hip fracture with respect to changes in residential needs and the ability to perform activities of daily life. Patients 50 years and older admitted to the two largest hospitals of Oslo with a hip fracture during the period May 1996 through April 1997 were identified. In November 1997 a questionnaire on residential needs, activities of daily life, hip pain and health status was sent to the patients still alive (n = 767). After reminders, the questionnaires of 593 patients (77%) were included. Logistic regression analysis was applied to assess items associated with functional limitation and need for residential care. The proportion of patients living in nursing homes increased from 15% before to 30% after the hip fracture, and men were twice as likely to move into a nursing home than women. Of the patients living in their own homes before the hip fracture, 6% of those < 75 years compared with 33% of those > 85 years had to move to nursing home after hip fracture. The proportion of patients walking without any aid decreased from 76 to 36%, and 43% of the patients lost their prefracture ability to move outside on their own. More than a fourth of the patients (28%) lost their ability to cook their own dinner after sustaining hip fracture. The probability of these events increased with increasing age. The probability of reporting inferior health status and for having hip pain that affected sleep after the fracture was unrelated to age. Many patients sustaining a hip fracture, and in particular the oldest patients, have reduced ability to perform activities of daily life.

The association between alcohol consumption and risk of hip fracture differs by age and gender in Cohort of Norway: a NOREPOS study

“…Hip fractures cause much pain and loss of function and almost 25% of the patients die within one year after the fracture [4,5]. These fractures represent a considerable burden to the health care system, and even though the age-specific incidence is slightly decreasing [3,6,7], the actual number of fractures are forecasted to increase considerably due to an ageing population [8].…”

Randomized Trial of Hemiarthroplasty versus Internal Fixation for Femoral Neck Fractures: No Differences at 6 Years

“…Among orthopaedic injuries, none accounts for more morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs than hip fracture [3,25,35]. Cooper et al [6] have estimated that as a result of an increasing proportion of elderly people in the world, the number of hip fractures will approximate four million in 2025.…”

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“…Hip fracture patients may have up to 8-fold increased risk of all-cause mortality during the first 3 months after the fracture (39). One third of those 85 years or older who lived at home when sustaining a hip fracture, lived in a nursing home one year after the fracture (40). In addition to dramatic consequences for the individual patient, hip fractures have substantial economic consequences for society (41,42) billion NOK the first year (536 mill.…”