Abstract
We investigated whether elderly patients treated for a proximal femoral fracture who lived together with an elderly spouse were able to return home and walk after treatment. Subjects were 85 patients aged > 65 years with a proximal femoral fracture that were treated between January 2007 and December 2013 and who lived at home with their spouse. We recorded the number (proportion) of patients who were directly discharged home from the hospital. We also analyzed their activities of daily living (ADL) using the Barthel index before the injury and again at the time of discharge. We investigated whether there was a sex difference in the ability to return home. Seventy patients (80%) returned home directly from the hospital or from a rehabilitation hospital. The Barthel index before injury and at the time of discharge was 90 points and 81 points in female patients and 84 points and 70 points in male patients, respectively. Forty women (85%) and 30 men (75%) returned home.
