CARER BURDEN AFTER PROXIMAL FEMORAL FRACTURE

This carer study forms part of a wider study which compares accelerate d rehabilitation after proximal femoral fracture with conventional car e. Two measures of burden on family caregivers were used: social worke r's assessment of overall burden and an index of disruption to carers' lives. Participants were carers of 200 patients interviewed at five p eriods up to 12 months after fracture. Carer burden prior to the fract ure was the strongest predictor of subsequent burden, with carers of p atients in nursing homes and patients with a cognitive or physical dis ability being more burdened. Carer burden may increase or decrease aft er the patient's injury, irrespective of randomization group. There is no simple relationship between burden and randomized group. Accelerat ed rehabilitation does not impact greatly on carer burden, but already severely burdened carers may benefit from additional counselling/info rmation. Specific ways in which carers' lives were disrupted are repor ted.