Caregivers of frail rural older adults. Effects of an advanced practice nursing intervention.

Informal caregivers are responsible for providing the majority of post-discharge care for many frail older adults in rural settings. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether an advanced practice nurse (APN) intervention would promote more positive physical and emotional outcomes in caregivers of rural older adults who are frail and were recently discharged from urban-based hospitals. Thirty-two caregivers of frail rural elderly individuals were randomly assigned to treatment (APN intervention) and control groups (no APN intervention).