Scandinavian journal of primary health care
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Based on a review of the literature it can be said that a main obstacle to a rational approach to prevention and health promotion in the elderly, seems to be on the one side our lack of knowledge of what constitutes effective intervention, and on the other a feeling of great urgency--which may easily lead us astray. More basic information on factors influencing the individual rate of organ decline is needed, and controlled clinical trials of the effectiveness of different approaches to intervention are required. In the present state of things there is no need for therapeutic nihilism--important conditions causing distress and disability in old age are amenable to preventive action.
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Scand J Prim Health Care · Sep 1984
Early rehabilitation at home of elderly patients with hip fractures and consumption of resources in primary care.
From 1976 onwards an active rehabilitation programme has been applied to elderly patients with fresh hip fractures at the Department of Orthopaedics in Lund in Southern Sweden. This involves early mobilisation in the hospital (internal fixation and immediate weight-bearing) and at home, rehabilitation in cooperation with primary health care personnel from the time of the patient's admission. The purposes of this investigation were to evaluate the effect of this programme in primary care and to assess the consumption of resources for rehabilitation at home of patients with cervical or trochanteric hip fractures. ⋯ Patients with cervical fractures consumed less resources for rehabilitation than patients with trochanteric fractures. The total cost per patient was ten times higher for care at a convalescent-home than for rehabilitation at home through primary care. Early at home rehabilitation of elderly patients with hip fractures gives good results at a minimal cost and is thus of advantage both to the patient and to the community.