Family-Based Transitional Care for Older Adults After Hip Fracture Surgery: A Feasibility Study

Background: Older adults with hip fracture surgery often face considerable physical and psychological impacts during the transition from the hospital to home and require family caregivers to provide assistance with daily activities and rehabilitation. Therefore, it is essential to empower both patients and family caregivers with effective care management to support recovery and improve health outcomes.

Methods: This study aimed to assess the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of implementing a family-based transitional care program after hospital discharge in older adults with hip fracture surgery. The program components, integrated into a mobile application, were developed and guided by Meleis’ theory of transition and the concept of Family-based illness care. Health outcomes, including hip function, activities of daily living, mobility function, and fear-of-falls measures, were evaluated in 16 Thai families (including older adults and their primary caregivers) before discharge, at two weeks, and at six weeks post-discharge. The program’s feasibility was evaluated by older patients’ families and healthcare providers after its implementation. Descriptive statistics and Repeated-Measures Analysis of Variance were used in the analysis.

Results: The program was feasible and satisfactory for implementation in transitional care for older adults following hip fracture surgery. The preliminary results found significant improvement in all health outcomes, including hip functions (F = 254.72, p = .00), activity of daily living (F = 230.55, p = .00), mobility function (F = 159.63, p = .00), and fear of falling (F = 155.68, p = .00) throughout the recovery process.

Conclusions: The family-based transitional care program highlights the integration of a mobile application to assist healthcare providers and support families during the transition. It is feasible to use, and possible to improve health outcomes in older adults undergoing hip fracture surgery. However, a larger sample size and a more rigorous evaluation of the program’s effectiveness through a randomized controlled trial are recommended for future studies.