Recovery Experiences of Older Adults and Their Caregivers After Major Elective Noncardiac Surgery - PubMed
7 hours ago
- #caregiver support
- #geriatric surgery
- #postoperative recovery
- Study focuses on recovery experiences of older adults (65+) with mild frailty and their caregivers after major elective noncardiac surgery.
- Participants included 204 older adults (mean age 72.8) and 85 caregivers (mean age 68.2) from 17 Canadian hospitals.
- Functional recovery was tracked via surveys and interviews over 6 months post-surgery.
- Key findings: 64% of older adults had instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) impairments at 2 months, decreasing to 42% at 6 months.
- 33% had basic activities of daily living (ADL) impairments at 2 months, decreasing to 19% at 6 months.
- Major themes: inadequate preoperative education, reduced independence affecting mental health, and need for better postoperative support.
- Caregivers (82% spouses) also reported challenges, with many having chronic diseases themselves.
- Recommendations: Improved preoperative education, caregiver-inclusive discharge planning, and early follow-up to optimize recovery.