Abstract
BackgroundIt is estimated that people with dementia are approximately three times more likely to fracture their hip than sex and age matched controls. A report by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy found that this population have poor access to rehabilitation as inpatients and in the community. A recent scoping review found a paucity of research in this area, indeed there has been no qualitative research undertaken with physiotherapists.In order to address this evidence gap, the aim of this current study was to explore the experiences of physiotherapists treating this population.MethodsSemi-structured interviews with physiotherapists were undertaken in order to gain an in-depth understanding of how they manage this population. Physiotherapists were recruited from all over the UK and a purposive sampling strategy was employed. Thematic analysis was utilised.ResultsA total of 12 physiotherapists were interviewed, at which stage data saturation was reached as no new themes were emerging. The participants had a broad range of experience both in physical and mental health settings. Analysis identified three separate themes: challenges, “thinking outside the box” and realising potential.Physiotherapists felt significant pressures and challenges regarding many aspects of the management of this population. Mainly this was the result of pressures placed on them by guidelines and targets that may not be achievable or appropriate for those with dementia. The challenges and importance of risk taking was also highlighted for this population with an appreciation that standard treatment techniques may need adapting. “Rehabilitation potential” was highlighted as an important consideration, but challenging to determine.ConclusionInterventions for the management of people with dementia and hip fracture need to consider that a traditional biomedical physiotherapy approach may not be the most appropriate approach to use with this population. However physiotherapists reported feeling pressurised to conform to a biomedical approach.
Highlights
It is estimated that people with dementia are approximately three times more likely to fracture their hip than sex and age matched controls
Challenges One of the most significant themes involved the challenges felt by physiotherapists regarding various aspects of the patients’ management. These challenges focused on the poor attitudes of others, lack of services for this population and the importance of medical management, all of which had a significant impact on the ability to undertake physiotherapy
For patients who are referred for physiotherapy, this study provides some interesting insights into the experiences and difficulties that physiotherapists face treating people with dementia after hip fracture
Summary
It is estimated that people with dementia are approximately three times more likely to fracture their hip than sex and age matched controls. A recent scoping review found a paucity of research in this area, there has been no qualitative research undertaken with physiotherapists. In order to address this evidence gap, the aim of this current study was to explore the experiences of physiotherapists treating this population. A previous scoping review [8] has highlighted the lack of evidence to guide physiotherapists on how to manage people with dementia who fracture their hip, as well as a lack of qualitative research to explore the experiences of physiotherapists delivering a physiotherapy intervention to this population. It is suggested that this population are often poorly managed [9] which is unsurprising in view of the paucity of evidence to guide interventions. The lack of qualitative research in this area is in line with physiotherapy in general [10] and it is suggested that until recently few physiotherapy researchers had shown interest in qualitative work [9]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
