The purpose of this study is to estimate the population requiring nursing home services among elderly people in Korea This study identifies the need of nursing home services determined by health care professionals and estimates the proportion of elderly people requiring nursing home sea~vice according to the admission criteria.
Surveys were conducted on health care professionals including; medical doctors, home care nurses, and nurse practitio~lers. They were asked to assess nursing home needs teased on four content areas physical function (Activities of Daily Living), chronic disease, physical symptoms (incontinence), mobility, eating, and sensory function. Based on the professionally determined need criteria the proportion of elderly people requiring nursing home s´xvices was estimated using secondary data from the 1994 Survey on the Living Status of the Korean Elderly. The number of study subjects to estimate nursing home needs who were 60 and older totaled 2,058.
The most important factor contributing to the admission eligibility criteria was the elderly living alone. Other factors related were the elderly being unable or having difficulty carrying out activities, and having insufficient help from other members of the household.
Using only physical function, the proportion of elderly people requiring nursing home was 8~9%. When only chronic disease was used, proportions varied widely; for the da;tor´s group, the proportion was over 30x. Using all areas, the proportions of .elderly people requiring nursing home were between 13% and 38%. The estimate using chronic; disease and physical function was similar to the one using all areas.
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