Abstract

ORUETA SANCHEZ, Ramón et al. Home Care Program for Dependent Elderly Patients: evaluation of results and of satisfaction with care. Rev Clin Med Fam [online]. 2012, vol.5, n.1, pp.3-8. ISSN 2386-8201.  https://dx.doi.org/10.4321/S1699-695X2012000100002.

Objectives: To assess the impact of enrolling in a home care program for chronically dependent elderly people and satisfaction with care. Design: Non-randomized, before-and-after study. Setting: Primary Care. Urban. Participants: Chronically dependent elderly people enrolling in a home care program (n=156, with a 7.8% drop-out rate during the one-year trial). Measures: Chronically dependent elderly patients enrolling in a home care program with assessment at time of entry and one year later.  Variables were: perceived health (Likert scale), quality of life (Nottingham Questionnaire), visits received (visitors and number of visits/year) and satisfaction with care received (Likert scale and positive and negative aspects of the program). Results: No significant change in perceived health or overall quality of life; however, there was improvement (p<0.05) specifically in emotional quality of life and in social relationships.  Number of visits decreased (14.2 vs 9.0; p<0.01), as well as percentage of frequent visitors (34.0% vs 17.1%; p<0.01).  85.4% of patients felt that care improved towards end of study, with significant improvement in satisfaction with overall care received (p<0.05), and with medical (p<0.05) and nursing care (p<0.01): (7.8 vs 8.5, 8.0 vs 8.7 and 7.3 vs 8.4, respectively). Conclusions: Enrolling in a home care program for dependent elderly people has a positive effect on patients by improving perception of care received, reducing use of health care services and improving certain aspects of quality of life.

Keywords : Home Care Services; Frail Elderly.

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