Carer burden after proximal femoral fracture.

Abstract

This carer study forms part of a wider study which compares accelerated rehabilitation after proximal femoral fracture with conventional care. Two measures of burden on family caregivers were used; social worker's assessment of overall burden and an index of disruption to carers' lives. Participants were carers of 200 patients interviewed at five periods up to 12 months after fracture. Carer burden prior to the fracture was the strongest predictor of subsequent burden, with carers of patients in nursing homes and patients with a cognitive or physical disability being more burdened. Carer burden may increase or decrease after the patient's injury, irrespective of randomization group. There is no simple relationship between burden and randomized group. Accelerated rehabilitation does not impact greatly on carer burden, but already severely burdened carers may benefit from additional counselling/information. Specific ways in which carers; lives were disrupted are reported.