Study On Care Needs And Service Contents Of Home Health Care For The Elderly

Objective To assess home health care needs of the elderly and find out the contents of gerontic home health care service, laying foundation for later study of home health care service model. Method Based on Orem's self-care theory, an assessment questionnaire for home health care needs was developed. Comprehensive healthy conditions and home health care needs of 500 aged people were assessed by professional investigator with the questionnaire. And also home health care service contents were further studied by literature review, qualitative interviewing and Delphi. Result 81.2 percent of the elderly have a certain kind of home health care needs. Most needs of the service items were focused on health education items (health consultation, drug instruction, care-givers supervision), rehabilitation care items (rehabilitative training, psychological care) and health protective nursing technique services, while the needs for the therapeutic nursing technique service items were quite rare. Conclusionâ‘ The aged people indeed demand home health care services which could meet their health needs.â‘¡Presently, the home health care services which can be carried out in Shanghai communities are made up of three kinds of services including 31 items. And the most important services which should be put into practice in Shanghai communities are health education, psychological care, rehabilitation care and health protection so as to meet the basic needs for health management of most elderly persons. Meanwhile, a certain kinds of therapeutic nursing technique services, which are necessary and feasible, should be conducted to appease old persons'individual care needs under diverse health conditions.â‘¢The assessment questionnaire for home health care needs can distinguish old persons'health conditions and identify their care needs well. So a proposal for home health care needs assessment model based on health function grades is brought forward, which lays a foundation for later study of home health care service model.