Functional Assessment of Elderly Clients of a Rural Community-Based Long-Term Care Program: A 10-Year Cohort Study

Abstract

ABSTRACTAs the demand for home care services increases, health care agencies should be able to predict the intake capacity of community-based long-term care (CBLTC) programs. Two hundred and thirty-seven clients entering a CBLTC program were assessed for activities of daily living (ADL) and cognitive and affective functioning and were then followed to monitor attrition and reasons why clients left the program. Compromised ADL functioning at baseline increased likelihood of death and institutionalization by 2 per cent each year. Over a 10-year period, reduced cognitive functioning at baseline increased the risk of death by 9 per cent and decreased the likelihood of leaving the program due to improvement by 18 per cent. Reduced affective functioning at baseline increased the risk of institutionalization during the course of the study by 3 per cent. Routine functional assessments with the elderly may help in the management of similar home care programs.