Profile of Persons With Epilepsy Receiving Home Care Services

Abstract

The objective of this study was to describe the profile of persons with epilepsy (PWE) receiving home care to understand their needs and impact on health care. In this cross-sectional study, sociodemographic, psychosocial, and health characteristics of PWE 60 years of age and above were compared with PWE in the below 60 years age (the comparison) group. Relative to the comparison group, the aged 60 years and above group was more likely to have health and mental health issues, cognitive impairment, functional dependence, psychosocial needs, and health care resource utilization. This study showed that PWE receiving home care services are greatly affected by social, functional, and health issues. Future studies are needed to further explore the burden of PWE on caregivers and health care systems compared with nonepilepsy groups.