Outcomes for Older Adults in an Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Following Hip Fracture (HF) Surgery

The purpose of the study was to evaluate patient and system outcomes regarding older community-residing adults who participated in a rehabilitation program following hip fracture surgery. The health care professionals on the rehabilitation unit in this feasibility study had never cared for such patients who were so frail, with multiple co-morbidities including cognitive impairment (CI). After an innovative model of care was developed and the staff trained in the novel approach to care, the unit opened for all clients living within the community who had fractured their hip, regardless of their cognitive impairment. Of the 31 elderly patients consecutively admitted post hip fracture in this retrospective study, 18 were found to have CI postoperatively as determined by a Mini-Mental State Examination score < 23. There were no difference in length of stay, rehabilitation efficiency, and motor FIM gain scores between the two groups of patients. This feasibility retrospective study study suggests that staff can learn how to care for clients with cognitive impairment in rehabilitation settings, and that such clients can achieve outcomes comparable to those without CI in a setting dedicated to caring for patients with a hip fracture.Canadian Institutes of Health Researc