title: John Adams scans a range of journals and highlights their relevance for nurses who work with older people.
abstract: There is increasing recognition that for many older people, a fall causing a hip fracture can start a process of increasing dependency and reduced quality of life. However, this is not an inevitable outcome and researchers are keen to identify factors which may influence prognosis. In this American study, data were obtained from 23 women (age range 65 - 95 years) who had sustained a hip fracture within the previous four years. A range of instruments were completed by a research nurse, including measures of independence in activities of daily living, and osteoporosis risk. Eighteen of the women were able to obtain maximum scores for independence in living activities after the fracture was treated. The results provided the positive message that older women who were living independently before their fall can expect a high level of recovery from this traumatic event.