Caregivers of hip fracture patients: The forgotten victims?

Introduction: The burden that family and friends assume when caring for hip fracture patients can negatively impact the caregiver's quality of life, relationships, and the decision to place the patient in a care facility. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the burden of caregiving for intertrochanteric hip fractures to better counsel patients and caregivers in order to prevent delayed admission to a care facility.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of a prospectively gathered elderly hip fracture database identified 29 patients and their caregivers with complete 6 month follow-up. Caregiver burden and depression scales were administered to the primary caregiver in the immediate perioperative period (baseline), at 3 month follow-up, and at 6 month follow-up. At each time point caregivers reported the effects of caregiving on their finances, work hours, relationships, and their willingness to admit the patient to a long-term care facility.

Results: At 6 month follow-up, <30% of caregivers reported negative effects on their finances, relationships, work hours, or intent to place the patient in care facility, while 77% endorsed cherishing their time spent as a caregiver. The number of caregivers with a high caregiver burden remained stable at 20% over the 6 month follow-up; these caregivers were more likely to have a depressed mood (p < 0.01), to consider placement of the patient into a long-term care facility (p < 0.01), and to have negatively affected finances (p = 0.03) and relationships (p < 0.01).

Conclusions: High degrees of burden were experienced by 20% of caregivers of hip fracture patients. Caregivers with high caregiver burdens were more likely to consider placement of the patient into a long-term care facility. Risk factors for high caregiver burdens should be identified to optimize the quality of caregiving after discharge and to prevent delayed admission to a long-term care facility.

Level Of Evidence: Level IV, case series.