The Journey Toward Taking the Day for Granted Again: The Experiences of Rural Older People's Recovery From Hip Fracture Surgery

A hip fracture is an unexpected, subjective, traumatic experience that affects the person in both physical and emotional ways. The purpose of this study was to describe rural older people's experiences of recovering after hip fracture surgery. Thirteen individual interviews were conducted with older people. The interview texts were analyzed with qualitative content analysis. Patients described finding themselves in a new and vulnerable situation, dependent on others for simple everyday chores. They struggled to regain independence while staying positive, convinced that they would recover. Fear of another fall, as well as lack of information, made recovery at home difficult. Older people who experience hip fractures need support during the recovery process. Because recovery begins at the hospital, this study highlight patients' need to participate in recovery planning, as well as the need to have information about what it means to be affected by a hip fracture and how to prevent it from happening again. This study emphasizes that nurses' awareness of patients' need to participate in planning the recovery process is crucial for enabling patients' return to a daily life that is similar to their prefracture life.