Receiving Home Care Research Articles

The hospital-to-home care transition experience of home care clients: an exploratory study using patient journey mapping

BackgroundCare transitions have a significant impact on patient health outcomes and care experience. However, there is limited research on how clients receiving care in the home care sector experience the hospital-to-home transition. An essential strategy for improving client care and experience is through client engagement efforts. The study's aim was to provide insight into the care transition experiences and perspectives of home care clients and caregivers of those receiving home care who experienced a hospital admission and returned to home care services by thematically and illustratively mapping their collective journey.MethodsThis study applied a qualitative descriptive exploratory design using a patient journey mapping approach. Home care clients and their caregivers with a recent experience of a hospital discharge back to the community were recruited. A conventional inductive approach to analysis enabled the identification of categories and a collective patient journey map. Follow-up interviews supported the validation of the map.ResultsSeven participants (five clients and two caregivers) participated in 11 interviews. Participants contributed to the production of a collective journey map and the following four categories and themes: (1) Touchpoints as interactions with the health system; Life is changing; (2) Pain points as barriers in the health system: Sensing nobody is listening and Trying to find a good fit; (3) Facilitators to positive care transitions: Developing relationships and gaining some continuity and Trying to advocate, and (4) Emotional impact: Having only so much emotional capacity.ConclusionsThe patient journey map enabled a collective illustration of the care transition depicted in touchpoints, pain points, enablers, and feelings experienced by home care recipients and their caregivers. Patient journey mapping offers an opportunity to acknowledge home care clients and their caregivers as critical to quality care delivery across the continuum.

Determinants of suicidal behavior in dementia: A Swedish national register-based study.

To examine predictors of suicidal behavior (SB) in adults aged 75 years and above with dementia. Longitudinal national register-based study. Swedish residents aged ≥75 years with dementia identified in the Swedish Dementia Registry (SveDem) between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2017 (N = 59 042) and followed until 31 December 2018. Data were linked with numerous national registers using personal identity numbers. Outcomes were nonfatal self-harm and suicide. Fine and Gray regression models were used to investigate demographics, comorbidities, and psychoactive medications associated with fatal and nonfatal SB. Suicidal behavior was observed in 160 persons after dementia diagnosis; 29 of these died by suicide. Adjusted sub-hazard ratio (aSHRs) for SB was increased in those who had a previous episode of self-harm (aSHR = 14.42; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 7.06-29.46), those with serious depression (aSHR = 4.33, 95%CI = 2.94-6.4), and in those born outside Sweden (aSHR = 1.53; 95% CI = 1.03-2.27). Use of hypnotics or anxiolytics was also associated with a higher risk of SB; use of antidepressants was not. Milder dementia and higher frailty score also increased risk of SB. Risk was decreased in those who received home care (aSHR = 0.52; 95%CI = 0.38-0.71) and in the oldest group (aSHR = 0.35; 95%CI = 0.25-0.49). In addition to established targets for suicidal behavior prevention (improved identification and treatment of depression and previous self-harm), several new risk factors were suggested. There is a need for innovative public health strategies to meet the needs of older dementia patients with a foreign background. Home care may have a potential positive effect to prevent SB in people with dementia, but this needs to be further explored.

Safety in parenteral nutrition compounding.

Parenteral nutrition (PN) compounding is a complex process that requires knowledge and training to ensure the safety and efficacy of this form of nutrition support therapy. Unfortunately, errors and lack of adherence to safe PN compounding recommendations and sterile compounding requirements have resulted in patient injury and death. These lapses in the safe provision of PN have been the result of various factors, including a lack of understanding of PN compatibility, stability, and sterility requirements, as well as drug product shortages and order entry errors. This review will describe the current challenges with the education and training regarding PN compounding, compatibility and stability of PN admixtures, simultaneous administration of nonnutrient medications with PN admixtures, and specific challenges with special populations such as neonates, pediatrics, and those receiving home care.

When should Home-visit nurses initiate end-of-life discussions for patients with Organ failure and family caregivers? A qualitative study

BackgroundEnd-of-life (EOL) discussions for organ-failure patients with family caregivers are important factors for successful EOL care. However, identifying the appropriate time to initiate these discussions is difficult owing to the unpredictability of the disease trajectory. No practical tools or clinical indicators currently exist that can help identify non-cancer patients receiving home care who need EOL discussions.MethodsThe survey was conducted from February 2020 to June 2021. To identify the appropriate time at which to initiate EOL discussions for patients with organ failure and their caregivers, we determined the time when home-visit nurses initiated EOL discussions. We interviewed 19 home-visit nurses (mean total home-visit nursing experience: 6.7 ± 5.9 years) and analyzed the data using Hsieh and Shannon’s qualitative content approach.ResultsThree themes related to home-visit nurses’ experiences of identifying the appropriate time to start EOL discussions were identified: symptomatic worsening, lack of patients’ and family caregivers’ EOL awareness, and decline in activities of daily living.ConclusionsIt is necessary to develop a tool that will enable home-visit nurses to implement EOL discussions at the appropriate time.

The influence of individual and municipality characteristics on allocation of long-term care services: a register-based cross-sectional study

BackgroundVariation in service allocation between municipalities may arise as a result of prioritisation. Both individual and societal characteristics determine service allocation, but previous literature has often investigated these factors separately. The present study aims to map variation in allocation of long-term care services and investigate the extent to which service allocation is associated with characteristics related to the individual care recipient and the municipality.MethodsThis cross-sectional study used register data from the Norwegian Registry for Primary Health Care on all 250 687 individuals receiving municipal health and care services in Norway on 31 December 2019. These individual level data were paired with municipal level data from the Municipality-State-Reporting register and information on the care models in Norwegian long-term care services, derived from a nationwide survey. Multilevel analyses were used to identify individual and municipal factors that were associated with allocation of home care, practical assistance and long-term stay in institutions.ResultsIn total, 164 634 people received home care services and 97 380 received practical assistance per 31 December 2019. Furthermore, 64 404 received both types of home-based services and 31 342 people had a long-term stay in an institution. Increased disability was strongly associated with being allocated more hours of home care and practical assistance, as well as allocation of a long-term institutional stay. The amount of home care and practical assistance declined with increasing age, but the odds of institutional stay increased with age. Care recipients living alone received more home-based services, and women had higher odds of a long-term institutional stay. Significant associations between the proportion of elderly in nursing homes and allocation of a long-term institutional stay and more practical assistance emerged. Other associations with municipalities’ structural characteristics and care service models were weak.ConclusionsThe influence of individual characteristics outweighed the contribution of municipality characteristics, and the results point to a limited influence of municipality characteristics on allocation of long-term care services.

Heuristics, Biases, and Decisions in Resource Allocation for Home Care Packages under Consumer Directed Care: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis

Consumer-directed care (CDC) is a policy solution for quality deficiencies in aged care where seniors accessing care services are empowered with full choice and flexibility over their service packages. Various programs have been developed using this policy approach around the world, and implementation has invoked a mixture of responses. While consumer organisations welcome a policy direction providing additional choice, there is a concern that this policy complicates the decision-making process, leading people to rely on “rules of thumb” (heuristics) that may not reflect their best interests. Behavioural science provides a lens for looking at heuristics and biases that may occur during complex decision making, particularly as people age. Objective. To explore the presence and influence of heuristics and biases on the decision-making processes of older people receiving home care services under a CDC model. Method. Qualitative systematic review involving systematic searching of PubMed, MEDLINE via Ovid, Embase via Elsevier, CINAHL via Ebsco, PsycINFO via Ovid, Web of Science, Scopus, and EconLit, from inception until 14th April 2022 was undertaken. Identified articles were deduplicated, screened, and extracted for information relevant to the research question using PRISMA guidelines. Data extraction considered descriptive data and metadata including study type, participants, overall objectives, chosen methodologies, and their relationship to the research question. The variety of study types prompted a thematic synthesis to achieve greater comprehension of the existing knowledge base. Results. Descriptive categories were analysed to reveal five themes relevant to the presence and influence of heuristics and biases in decisions made by older people when allocating home care resources. Principally, CDC is implemented to afford autonomy but is complicated by the decision-making environment. Choice and decision making are both specific to the individual, and the processes employed for decision making vary over the life-course. Decision quality can be improved through the identification and mitigation of complicating factors. More research is needed to understand how modifications can assist decision making and improve health outcomes.

Development of an interprofessional person-centred care concept for persons with care needs living in their own homes (interprof HOME): study protocol for a mixed-methods study

IntroductionPeople receiving home care usually have complex healthcare needs requiring the involvement of informal caregivers and various health professionals. In this context, successful collaboration is an important element of person-centred...

Evde Bakım Hizmeti Alan Geriatrik Hastalarda Disfaji Sıklığı ve İlişkili Risk Faktörleri

Objective: In our study, it was aimed to determine dysphagia prevalence in patients 65 years of age and older who were received home care and to assess factors associated with dysphagia. Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted in patients who were registered to Home Care Services of Samsun Training and Research Hospital between December 1, 2021, and March 1, 2022. In all patients, demographic data, level of dependence, nutrition methods, use of enteral nutrition supplement, body mass index (BMI), and comorbidity were assessed by Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) while dysphagia symptoms were assessed by Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) and nutritional status was assessed by Nutritional Risk Screening-2002 (NRS) using face-to-face interview method. Results: A total of 413 patients were included in our study, of which 62.5% (n=258) were female. Dysphagia symptoms were present in 44.6% (n=184). The dysphagia prevalence was significantly high in male patients (p=0.025), in patients aged ≥85 years (p=0.001), in those with high CCI score (p<0.001), in those with cerebrovascular disease (p<0.001), dementia (p<0.001), and hemiplegia (p=0.001), and in bedridden patients (p<0.001). Similarly, dysphagia prevalence was higher in patient with nutritional risk and those using enteral nutrition supplement (p<0.001). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, it was found that dementia and increased nutritional risk were independent risk factors for presence of dysphagia symptoms (p<0.001). Conclusion: Our study showed a high prevalence of dysphagia in the geriatric patient population receiving home care. It has been determined that the rate of dysphagia is increased in patients with older age, nutritional risk, dementia, cerebrovascular disease, and multiple comorbidities.

ПРИЕМНАЯ СЕМЬЯ ДЛЯ ПОЖИЛЫХ И ИНВАЛИДОВ КАК ИННОВАЦИОННАЯ ТЕХНОЛОГИЯ СОЦИАЛЬНОГО ОБСЛУЖИВАНИЯ

The article discusses the features of social services for the elderly in modern Russian society. In order to improve and maintain their health, activity, support, and in the absence of decent living conditions, older people can stay in stationary or semi-residential institutions that provide a full range of social services, and can also receive home care, remaining in their usual home conditions. . However, due to their difficult financial situation, many elderly citizens are not always able to pay for social services. Also, the lack of places in specialized institutions, limited funding, overcrowding of nursing homes and boarding schools necessitates the search for alternative and innovative forms of social services for the elderly and disabled. As a special and effective form of life arrangement for the elderly and disabled, their placement in a foster family is considered, by providing family support and creating full-fledged social and living conditions. The foster or substitute family model has been developed in a number of European countries and the USA. The introduction in Russia of an alternative model of a foster family for the elderly and disabled will help solve their pressing problems, as well as provide them with constant care and concern. A foster family for an elderly person is a good opportunity in the future to abandon the activities of nursing homes, in many of which the elderly live out their lives, in the truest sense of the word. This technology provides an elderly person with the necessary care and living conditions, leisure activities, psychological support, and additional material support for a foster family. The development of the institution of a foster family for the elderly as an innovative form of their life arrangement will significantly improve the quality of life of older citizens, change their “social well-being”, save them from the problem of loneliness, and strengthen the connection between generations. Solving social, social, psychological and other problems of older people requires more active participation of civil society and society, a constant search for effective forms of social services.

Web-based training for future healthcare professionals who will care for elderly individuals with epilepsy receiving home care: A quasi-experimental study

ObjectiveThe need for home care for elderly people with epilepsy is increasing. This study aims to determine the knowledge and attitudes of the students and examine the effect of the web-based epilepsy education program given to health students who will care for elderly individuals with epilepsy receiving home care. MethodsThis quasi-experimental study with a control group pre-post-test research design was conducted with 112 students (intervention: 32/control: 80) studying in the Department of Health Care Services (home care, elderly care) in Turkey. The sociodemographic information form, Epilepsy Knowledge Scale, and Epilepsy Attitude Scale were used for data collection. Web-based training in three two-hour sessions focusing on the medical and social aspects of epilepsy was applied to the intervention group in this study. ResultsIt was found that the epilepsy knowledge scale score of the intervention group increased from 5.56 (±4.96) to 13.15 (±2.56), and the epilepsy attitude scale score increased from 54.12 (±9.73) to 62.31 (±7.07) after the training. After the training; there was a significant difference in all items except the 5th item in the knowledge scale and the 14th item in the attitude scale (p < 0.05). SignificanceIn the study; it has been found that the web-based epilepsy education program provided increases students’ knowledge and develops positive attitudes. This study will provide evidence for strategies to be developed to improve the quality of care for elderly patients with epilepsy who are cared for at home.

Physical restraints applied to people diagnosed with dementia in home care from the perceptions of family caregivers: A qualitative study in China.

INTRODUCTION: The use of physical restraints is a common practice in home care. Family caregivers face care-related and moral pressures due to the influence of Confucian culture in China. The use of physical restraints in the Chinese cultural environment may differ from the use of such restraints in other cultures. Current research on physical restraints focuses on quantitative analysis of its prevalence and reasons within the institutions. However, there is little research on how family caregivers perceive physical restraints in home care context, especially under Chinese culture. To explore the perceptions of family caregivers on physical restraints in people diagnosed with dementia receiving home care. A descriptive, qualitative study of Chinese family caregivers of people diagnosed with dementia in home care. Framework method analysis was adopted using the multilevel socio-ecological model. Beliefs about benefit lead to a dilemma for family caregivers. Cherishing family's affection encourages caregivers to reduce physical restraints, but lack of help from family members, professionals and the community forces them to restrain their loved ones. Future research should explore the complex issue of culturally specific physical restraints decisions. Mental health nurses must receive education regarding the negative outcomes of the use of physical restraints for family members of people diagnosed with dementia. A more liberal approach to mental health and relevant legislation, which is an emerging global phenomenon that is currently in an early phase of development in China, grants human rights to people diagnosed with dementia. Effective communication and relationships between professionals and family caregivers can contribute to the establishment of a dementia-friendly community in China.

Motivasyonel Görüşme ile Desteklenen Sağlık Eğitiminin Evde Takip Edilen COVID-19 Tanılı Hastaların İlaç Tedavisi Uyumuna Etkisi

Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the effect of health education supported with motivational interviewing on medication adherence of COVID-19 patients receiving home care. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out in Gelibolu in Turkey between the dates of June 2021 - January 2022. Participants who meet the inclusion criteria of the study were assigned to the intervention group (50) and control group (50) using the block randomization method. Data at the beginning of the study were collected with the "Sociodemographic Questionnaire Form" and "Medication Adherence Reporting Scale" which were developed by the researchers according to the literature. At the end of the study the participants completed the "Medication Adherence Reporting Scale" and the questionnaire for "Medication Treatment Satisfaction Level". Data obtained were evaluated with the statistical analysis of percentage, frequency, mean, Mann Whitney U, Wilcoxon test using SPSS 22.00 program. Results and Conclusion: At the end of the study, the mean "Medication Adherence Reporting Scale" score of the participants in the intervention group (16.12±5.37) was higher than the mean score of the participants in the control group (9.96±5.62) (p

Who cares about Aboriginal Aged Care? Evidence of home care support needs and use in rural South Australia.

To assess awareness, needs and use of Australian Government-funded home aged care services among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples from rural and remote South Australia. Mixed-method study. Four rural and remote communities with a higher proportion of Aboriginal populations (Ceduna, Port Augusta, Port Lincoln and Whyalla). Fifty Aboriginal peoples aged 50-89 years (68% females) interviewed between August 2020 and October 2021. Participant awareness, needs and unmet needs. 88% of the participants indicated they needed home care support with daily activities (median number of needs = 3; interquartile range 2-6 needs), especially housework (86%) and transportation (59%). However, only 41% of those reporting current needs were receiving home care services. The most prevalent unmet needs were allied health (87%), housework (79%), help with meals/meals preparation (76%), shopping (73%) and personal care (73%). Overall, 62% of the participants were unaware of the Commonwealth Home Support Programme, and 54% were unaware of the Home Care Packages program. Qualitative data showed participants felt there is insufficient information and public consultation about these services for older Aboriginal adults. Regular communication in group activities was the preferable approach to becoming aware of these services rather than websites, posted materials or phone calls. Further work is needed to increase home aged care service access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples living in rural and remote settings. Promotion of these programmes through local group activities could facilitate access to these services and facilitate community engagement in decision-making.

TalkingMats as a decision aid to promote involvement in choice and decision-making around home care services for older people with mild to moderate dementia – study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundIn Sweden, 72% of people with dementia live in ordinary housing. Of these, 50% receive home care services. Older people with dementia may benefit from developments in decision-making support which aim to facilitate their ability to communicate their personal needs and preferences with care managers and staff in home care services. In this study, we will test and evaluate the use of TalkingMats in Swedish municipal home care services for older people with mild to moderate dementia. TalkingMats is a low-technology communication tool, to help people with communication difficulties express their views. It uses a simple system of picture symbols which are placed on a textured mat. This study will provide insight into the extent to which TalkingMats benefits older people with dementia to feel more involved in decisions related to home care services. In addition, this study will assess the extent to which the use of TalkingMats promotes service providers’ efforts to involve service recipients in decision making. The implementation of TalkingMats in home care services will also be studied.MethodsA parallel group, two-armed randomized controlled trial design in which TalkingMats and Usual Conversation Method will be compared. Two specific situations where older people with dementia must make decisions about home care services will be studied. First, a follow-up needs-assessment conversation between study participants and care managers will be studied. Second, a conversation between participants and home care staff regarding the delivery of the decided home care services will be studied. In addition, a qualitative approach will be used to gain an understanding of study participant and service provider experiences of the impact and implementation of TalkingMats.DiscussionThe combined exploratory, descriptive, and experimental study design is considered an important strength which will facilitate multi-facetted knowledge production concerning the involvement and communication needs of older people with dementia generally and within the context of home care services specifically. Combining qualitative and quantitative methods will maximize our ability to assess the effects of TalkingMats.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT05561998. Registered in September 28, 2022.

Experiences and challenges of the use Subacute and Acute Dysfunction in the Elderly-SAFE Work team coordinators experiences and challenges in the introduction and use of SAFE of in home-based nursing: A qualitative study from the Norwegian context.

The present qualitative study was performed following Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) guidelines. The data were collected through individual interviews (n = 3) and focus group (FG) interviews (n = 7). The interview transcripts were analysed using the Gioia method. Five aggregated dimensions were identified: Varying acceptance of SAFE, Structuring and quality-assurance of home-based nursing practice, Obstacles for the integration of SAFE in daily practice, Acceptance and use of SAFE require continuous supervision and SAFE contributes to increased quality of nursing care. The introduction of SAFE contributes to a structured follow-up of functional status in patients receiving home care. In order to incorporate the tool into home care practice, it is essential to set aside time to introduce the tool and to support nurses' use of it by offering continuous supervision.

Antibiotic-Prescribed Infections in Patients Receiving Home Care Services

In our study, it was aimed to examine "antibiotic (AB) prescribed infections" (ABPI) in patients receiving home care service (HCS) in the last year. Patients receiving HCS from a tertiary hospital were evaluated (n=176). In addition to descriptive information such as demographics, devices used and chronic diseases, ABs prescribed to patients in the last year and infections that were the reason for their prescription were screened retrospectively. It was determined that 138 patients had been prescribed AB at least once. In total, 691 ABs were used in 550 prescriptions. It was observed that the most common ABPI was urinary tract infection (44.9%), and the most commonly prescribed AB was amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (n=123). Using assistive devices for breathing and lung disease increased the risk of lower respiratory tract infection, for which ABs were prescribed at least once. These predictive factors were feeding with a nasogastric catheter or percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy for upper respiratory tract infections and using a urinary catheter for urinary tract infections. Our study revealed the most common ABPI in patients receiving HCS and the factors predicting them. These findings will shed light on the planning and management of HCS.

Toward developing care outcome quality indicators for home care for older people: A prospective cohort study in Japan.

Care quality in Japan's long-term care (LTC) agencies, including home care, is the responsibility primarily of individual agencies, and the evaluation of service processes and outcomes is minimal. To describe the development of quality indicators for LTC (QIs-LTC) in Japan. QIs-LTC were developed through literature review and expert panel discussions and then were piloted and used in a 2-year longitudinal survey. The survey (launched in September 2019) targeted older people receiving home care (n = 1450), their family members (n = 880), their professional home care providers (n = 577), and managers of home care agencies (n = 122). Across eight domains (maintaining dignity, minimizing symptoms and disease deterioration, maintaining nutritional status, maintaining bladder/bowel control, encouraging physical activities, experiencing sound sleep, maintaining serenity and contentedness, and maintaining family's well-being), 24 care quality objectives were set with 24 outcome QIs-LTC and 144 process QIs-LTC. In the survey, 84.8% of clients were using home care nursing, 26.3% were living alone, and 39.5% had dementia. In the month preceding the data collection, 13.9% of clients had a new disease or worsening of an existing disease, 8.8% were hospitalized at least once, and 47.9% did not participate in activities of interest. About 20% of clients' families were unable to spend time peacefully, and 52.8% were exhausted from the client's care. The QIs-LTC developed in the current study are generic and client- and family-centered. They encompass objective and subjective information and would facilitate standardized monitoring if adopted and comparison between LTC settings, including home care. In addition, future research directives are outlined. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2023; 23: 383-394.

Association between Advance Care Planning for Older Adults and Family Caregivers’ Sense of Security in Home Care Settings: A Prospective Cohort Study

Family caregivers’ sense of security benefits older adults who receive home care. Advance care planning (ACP) is reported to affect family caregivers’ experience positively, but it might differ depending on family caregivers’ kin relationships with the older adults. This study aimed to investigate whether ACP for older adults in home care settings is associated with family caregivers’ sense of security and whether such an association depends on the family caregivers’ status as spouses or adult children. Clarifying this association may offer practical support for implementing ACP while maintaining family caregivers’ sense of security. This study was part of a prospective cohort study in Japan. The participants were older adults who used home-visit nursing services, their family caregivers, and the nurses who cared for them, recruited through the professional associations of home care nurses across Japan. Family caregivers answered a sense of security questionnaire, and the nurses were asked whether ACP was conducted. Data were collected three times from nurses and twice from family caregivers over a three-month period from August 2019 to June 2020. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the association between ACP implementation and positive changes in the sense of security scores after three months. Data from 169 cases were analyzed; 28.1% of the family caregivers were men and 55.6% were spouses. ACP was performed in 53.8% of the cases. The multivariate analysis showed an interactive effect between ACP implementation and family caregivers’ kin relationships. For spouses, ACP was significantly associated with a positive change in their sense of security. For adult children, such an association was not found. Thus, ACP might have a positive effect on caregiving spouses’ sense of security. Adult child caregivers, who often have multiple responsibilities and have difficulties facing their parents’ physical decline, may need support in addition to ACP.

The association between receipt of home care rehabilitation services and acute care hospital utilization in clients with multimorbidity following an acute care unit discharge: a retrospective cohort study

BackgroundIndividuals experiencing multimorbidity have more complex healthcare needs, use more healthcare services, and access multiple service providers across the healthcare continuum. They also experience higher rates of functional decline. Rehabilitation therapists are well positioned to address these functional needs; however, little is known about the influence of rehabilitation therapy on patient outcomes, and subsequent unplanned healthcare utilization for people with multimorbidity. The aims of this study were to: 1) describe and compare the characteristics of people with multimorbidity receiving: home care rehabilitation therapy alone, other home care services without rehabilitation therapy, and the combination of home care rehabilitation therapy and other home care services, and 2) determine the association between home care rehabilitation therapy and subsequent healthcare utilization among those recently discharged from an acute care unit.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study used linked health administrative data housed within ICES, Ontario, Canada. The cohort included long-stay home care clients experiencing multimorbidity who were discharged from acute care settings between 2007–2015 (N = 43,145). Descriptive statistics, ANOVA’s, t-tests, and chi-square analyses were used to describe and compare cohort characteristics. Multivariable logistic regression was used to understand the association between receipt of rehabilitation therapy and healthcare utilization.ResultsOf those with multimorbidity receiving long-stay home care services, 45.5% had five or more chronic conditions and 46.3% required some assistance with ADLs. Compared to people receiving other home care services, those receiving home care rehabilitation therapy only were less likely to be readmitted to the hospital (OR = 0.78; 95% CI: 0.73–0.83) and use emergency department services (OR = 0.73; 95% CI: 0.69–0.78) within the first 3-months following hospital discharge.ConclusionsReceipt of rehabilitation therapy was associated with less unplanned healthcare service use when transitioning from hospital to home among persons with multimorbidity. These findings suggest rehabilitation therapy may help to reduce the healthcare burden for individuals and health systems. Future research should evaluate the potential cost savings and health outcomes associated with providing rehabilitation therapy services for people with multimorbidity.

Prognostic Association Between Frailty and Post-Arrest Health Outcomes in Patients Receiving Home Care: A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study

AimTo evaluate the association between frailty and post-cardiac arrest survival, functional decline, and cognitive decline, among patients receiving home care. MethodsFrailty was measured using the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) and a valid frailty index. We used multivariable logistic regression to measure the association between frailty and post-arrest outcomes after adjusting for age, sex, and arrest setting. Functional independence and cognitive performance were measured using the interRAI ADL Long-Form and Cognitive Performance Scale, respectively. We conducted sub-group analytics of in-hospital and out-of-hospital arrests. ResultsOur cohort consisted of 7,901 home care clients; most patients arrested out-of-hospital (55.4%) and were 75 years or older (66.3%). Most were classified as frail (94.2%) with a CFS score of 5 or greater. The 30-day survival rate was higher for in-hospital (26.6%) than out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (5.2%). Most patients who survived to discharge had declines in post-arrest functional independence (65.8%) and cognitive performance (46.5%). A one-point increase in the CFS decreased the odds of 30-day survival by 8% (aOR = 0.92; 95%CI = 0.87–0.97). A 0.1 unit increase in the frailty index reduced the odds of 30-day survival by 9% (aOR = 0.91; 95%CI = 0.86–0.96). The frailty index was associated with declines in functional independence (OR = 1.16; 95%CI = 1.02–1.31) and cognitive performance (OR = 1.24; 95%CI = 1.09–1.42), while the CFS was not. ConclusionFrailty is associated with cardiac arrest survival and post-arrest cognitive and functional status in patients receiving home care. Post-cardiac arrest cognitive and functional status are best predicted using more comprehensive frailty indices.