Research On The Long-care Status Of The Disabled Elderly In Wuhan

Objective: To understand the status and demand of long-term care for the disabled elderly in Wuhan, to provide the basis for the disabled elderly which was suitable for Wuhan on long-term care.Method:1.On consulting relevant literature and experts, we designed the questionnaires on the care status and demand of the disabled elderly. Using the general ADL Scale(Acitivity of Daily Living Scale, ADLS) which is recommended by WHO to assess the degree of disability for the elderly.2.Using cluster random sampling, choosing eight communities, seven pension agencies and a medical institution in Wuhan with 813 disabled elderly people, 300 familiy members and 300 community workers, implemented face to face by 10 special trained investigators.3.Using Epidata3.1 software to build the database with logic audit. Using SPSS20.0software to analyze data with descriptive analysis and X2 test.Result:1.Care status: of the 813 elderly disabled people,(1)The number of people with home care was 492(60.5%).The number of people with institutional care was 321(39.5%), 216(26.6%)of which was cared by pension agencies, 105(12.9%)of which was cared by the medical institution.(2)The number of people cared only by family members was 308(37.9%). The number of people cared by family members along with escorts was 204(25.1%). The number of people cared only by themselves was 158(19.4%). The number of people cared only by escorts was 143(17.6%).(3)784(96.4%)people could receive life care. 176(21.6%)people could receive medical care and rehabilitation. 76(9.3%) people could receive spiritual solace. 61(7.5%)people could receive social interaction service.(4)591(72.7%)people were worried about their care problem.2.Care demamds:(1)729(89.7%)people had a demand for long-term care services.(2)494(60.8%) people hoped for home care. 224(27.5%)people hoped for community home-based care. 95(11.7%)people hoped for institutional care.(3)The care service provided by community which was most wanted by the disabled elderly was life care(38.4%),followed by medical and rehabilitation nursing(35.6%), spiritual solace service(18.7%),social interaction service(7.3%), to complement and support home care.(4)The disabled elderly hope the support of the government to give main attention to the long-term care of them(88.5%), to speed up the establishment of long-term care system(86.9%), vigorously develop the community home-based care(82.7%).(5)The main factors affecting the long-term care needs include age, educational level,the proportion of economic expenditure about the cost of medical treatment,medication and care,the life that can not take care of themselvs(P〈0.01).Conclusion:1.The people with mild to moderate disability were mostly cared at home. The people with severe disability were mostly cared at institution. The disabled elderly’s family members were their primary caregivers. The home and pension agency only had life care, the medical care and rehabilitation and spiritual solace and social interaction service were less. The medical institution only had medical care and rehabilitation,the life care and spiritual solace and social interaction service were less.2.The elderly disabled had a demand for long-term care services. They hoped the community to provide long-term care services. They most wanted the community to provide life care, followed by the medical care and rehabilitation, spiritual solace and social interaction service.The main factors affecting the long-term care needs include: age, educational level,the proportion of economic expenditure about the cost of medical treatment, medication and care,the life that can not take care of themselve.3.A comprehensive long-term care system has not yet been established in Wuhan, and the long-term care model was immature.We suggested that the government should emphasis on the issue of long term care for the disabled elderly,vigorously develop community home-based care, and gradually establish the long-term care system which is based on home-care, supported by community home-based care and supplemented by institutional care.