Bridging the gap between hospital and home after a fracture

Dolores Langford, a Clinical Resource Physiotherapist with Vancouver Coastal Health and recipient of a 2013 VCH Research Institute Team Grant Award, under the mentorship of Dr. Maureen Ashe of the Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, is testing a support system to help older adults recover after a hip fracture. This extra support may speed recovery, prevent future falls and delay the need for supported living.

The team of researchers will determine if telephone support is helpful in keeping older adults on track with their recovery goals. After a patient is discharged, a physiotherapist will call patients at home to set walking and activity goals and provide information about recovery.

“We believe older adults with a fracture who receive coaching from a health professional will be further ahead in their recovery at four months and feel more supported to continue exercising,” says Langford. “We hope that having the right information at the right time, coupled with more support will make a difference after hip fracture, improving the ability of patients to remain active in the community and independent at home.”

Follow up to this study will include interviewing research participants and health care professionals to determin further improvements on recovery.

Click here for a complete list of 2013 VCHRI Team Grant Recipients and learn how their research are improving health outcomes.