The journey of recovery after hip-facture surgery: older people’s experiences of recovery through rehabilitation services involving physical activity

Abstract

Purpose: This study sought to explore and describe the experiences of recovery among community-living older people undergoing rehabilitation involving physical activity following hip-fracture surgery.

Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews with 5 men and 16 women (age range: 67 − 84 years). The data were analysed by means of systematic text condensation.

Results: The analysis revealed the following four interrelated themes: (1) what participants bring to the recovery situation matters; (2) support through individually tailored rehabilitation services, involving physical activity, – is key to recovery following hip fracture surgery; (3) needing professional help on the journey from helplessness and vulnerability to being more confident and active; and (4) making progress and regaining function represent the essence of recovery.

Conclusions: All four identified themes relate to how physical activity, as an aspect of rehabilitation services, contributes to the recovery process for patients who have experienced a hip fracture. Differences were reported with regard to the services used, and all the participants were at the mercy of what their municipalities chose to offer in terms of rehabilitation services.

IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION

• Municipal healthcare services should address patients’ individual needs when planning, organising and implementing rehabilitation programmes involving physical activity.

• Healthcare professionals need to recognise older patients’ experiences of reduced physical, psychological and social functioning following hip-fracture surgery and then take those experiences into account when tailoring rehabilitation programmes.

• Healthcare professionals providing physical rehabilitation programmes to people who have undergone hip-fracture surgery should take into account their patients’ situation and lifestyle prior to experiencing a hip fracture.

• Municipal healthcare services should consider using recovery as a conceptual framework in relation to rehabilitation services involving physical activity.

Keywords:

• Hip fractures
• older patients
• physical activity
• recovery
• rehabilitation
• healthcare services

Acknowledgements

We wish to express our gratitude to all the participants in this study for, willingly sharing their stories.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by Stiftelsen Dam: 2017/FO148151 recipient Irene Vestøl, Ph.D. candidate.