|
KMID : 0614819980040020351
|
|
Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
1998 Volume.4 No. 2 p.351 ~ p.361
|
|
|
The Cost of Long-Term Care Alternatives for the Elderly
|
|
Lee Tae-Wha
|
|
|
Abstract
|
|
|
The purpose of this study was to explore whether there is a point within the range of physical impairment. after which the cost of home care exceeds the cost of nursing home care among the elderly ~a~ho require lc,ng-term care. The provision of long -term care Cor the elderly is a major health policy issue, in part duc to the aging of the ~,merican population and dramatic increase in health care costs. The framework for this study was guided by Pollak~s(19i3)model of costs of alternative care settings for the elderly. This study used a retrospective. descriptive correlational design. Physical impairment was measured by the modified Index of Activities of Daily Living(Katz et al. 1963). Cost of care was measuaed by the average cost per patient per day.
The sample for this study included 67 patients receiving long-term care at home from the Long-term Home Health Care Programs (LTHHCPs) and 6 i patients receiving long-term care in nursing homes. Data were collected on patient characteristics. including activities of daily living and cognitive impairment. and on the number of physician visits. emergency room visits, and hospitalization from the patient records. For each patient. ~Iedicaid cost data for home care services%or nursing home services were collected from the financial department of each home care agency or nursing home. The living costs and informal care costs were estimated for home care patients.
The results indicated that the home care sample and the nursing home sample were similar in terms of gender ethnic background. and marital status. The elderl~~ patients in the home care sample were ho~~´ever. younger and less physically impaired thanthose iri the nursing home sample. The hypotheses of this study were supported For elderly persons with physical impairment scores below 12(possible range of 0 to 14), cost of care was lower in home care than in the nursing home care setting. How-ever. for elderly persons with physical impairment scores above 12, the cost of care was higher in home care than in the nursing home care setting. Thus. in this sample for elderly patients with extreme pihysical impairment the cost of home care exceeded the cost of nursing home care.
|
|
|
KEYWORD
|
|
|
|
|
|
FullTexts / Linksout information
|
|
 
|
|
|
Listed journal information
|
|
 
|