The effect of continuing care on postoperative life quality and long-term functional recovery in elderly patients with hip fracture.

OBJECTIVE:To apply continuing care to elderly patients with hip fracture undergoing surgery, and to explore its impact on life quality and long-term functional recovery. METHODS:This prospective study was performed in 136 elderly hip fracture patients, who were admitted to the department of orthopedics of our hospital for surgical treatment. According to the random number table, these patients were assigned to the control group and the experimental group (68 patients in each group). Patients in the control group received routine care and guidance for discharge, while those in the experimental group received routine care and continuing care for discharge. The hip joint function (Harris hip score), quality of life (MOS 36-item short form health survey score), compliance to functional exercise, anxiety (self-rating anxiety scale score), depression (self-rating depression scale score), postoperative complications (infection, joint stiffness, and deep vein thrombosis), and satisfaction in care after discharge were compared between the two groups. RESULTS:Compared with the control group, the compliance to functional exercise (rates of compliance to exercise time, exercise action, and exercise site), Harris hip score at 3 months after discharge, MOS 36-item short form health survey scores in physical functioning, general health, social functioning, role-emotional, and mental health, and satisfaction in care outside the hospital in the experimental group were all increased (p<0.05). Meanwhile, self-rating anxiety scale score, self-rating depression scale score, and the incidence of complications like lung infection, joint stiffness, and deep vein thrombosis in the experimental group were lower than those in the control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION:The effect of continuous care on life quality and long-term functional recovery of elderly patients with hip fractures is significant. Significant reduction of anxiety, depression, and complications is beneficial to improve satisfaction of care.