Assessing the relationship between needs and services in elderly women receiving government subsidized home support services in the St. John's region

• Main Author: Duggal, Anil
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Memorial University of Newfoundland 2003
• Subjects: Canada; Newfoundland
• Online Access: https://research.library.mun.ca/10442/; https://research.library.mun.ca/10442/1/Duggal_Anil.pdf

Introduction: The combined effects of low fertility and low mortality levels in Canada have resulted in an aging population and increasing health care costs. A major challenge is to provide high quality, long-term care services and programs while ensuring that the care is appropriately matched to need. -- Objective: To explore the association between assessed need and service provision for women aged 75 years and older receiving government subsidized home support services in the St. John's region of Newfoundland. -- Study Aims: 1. To describe the needs of clients according to functional need indicators for formal care provision. -- 2. To describe the service being provided to the clients (formal and informal service systems). -- 3. To describe the relationship between needs and services as well as the predictors of service allocation and the appropriateness of utilization of home support services. -- Methods: A retrospective design was used to assess clients formal care needs and their amount of formal services. A cross-sectional design was used in administering a questionnaire to community health staff, which focused on the perceived capabilities of all providers of informal support. -- Materials: The statistical package for social sciences (SPSS), and a customized Paradox software program were used in the analysis. -- Results: The average age of the 103 female clients assessed was 86 years. Their high need scores centered around a cluster of problems related to Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). In examining levels of informal support, a large number of clients (85%) had low provision. A significant number of clients (74%) scored in the 8th and 9th decile indicating high formal resource use. A correlation between decile ranking and formal service provision was found to be significant. A correlation between informal support and formal service provision was also significant. -- Clients identified as receiving an under-utilization of home support services (n=14) were compared to those appropriately matched for ...