Hip fractures among the elderly are a common occurrence, with high social and personal costs. Sequelae not infrequently include loss of independent functioning, permanent disability, and death. This prospective study of a cohort of eighty recently diagnosed "hardy" hip fracture patients examines initial rehabilitation expectations using a combination of methods. The study addresses the relationship between initial expectations and changes in ambulatory status from prefracture to three months post-fracture. The importance of previous experience with illness is also explored. Participants who had positive expectations for recovery and those who had greater previous experience were likely to have less negative change in ambulation from prefracture to three months, and better overall ambulation at three months. The findings suggest a relationship between patient expectations for recovery and actual recovery of ambulation, and support the heretofore "clinical impression" that cognition and affect influence the course of rehabilitation after hip fracture.