Background: Hip fractures require extended periods of recovery and rehabilitation, subjecting older adults to discontinuous care. Discharge transition is a critical point of heightened vulnerability for older adults.
Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a transitional care programme on the physical functions and quality of life (QOL) of older adults after hip fracture surgery.
Methods: Seventy-five older adults were assessed from pre-discharge to 6 weeks after hip surgery, and their physical functions, including walking status and activities of daily living, were measured. The QOL was measured using the European Quality of life-5 Dimensions-5 Levels (EQ 5D 5L).
Results: There was a significant strong effect of time (B = 10.565; 95% CI = 2.584-18.547; p = 0.009) on the EuroQol Visual Analog Scale (EQ-VAS) for the experimental group. However, there were no significant effects of time on physical functions and EQ-5D-5L scores.
Conclusions: The discharge transitional care programme improved the EQ-VAS of older adults following hip fracture surgery 6 weeks post-surgery. However, there were no significant differences in physical functions and EQ-5D between the groups.
Keywords: hip fractures; older adults; patient discharge; quality of life; surgery; transitional care.
© The Author(s) 2023.