title: Functional status and the use of formal home care in the year before death.
abstract: A national sample of persons who died in 1986 was analyzed to obtain a valid estimate of the relationship between functional status and the provision of formal home care during the last year of life.  Community-based care has become increasingly important as the size of the elderly population increases and the cost for institutional care rises.  When people need help in caring for themselves because of illness, frailty, or disability, community-based care may be more appropriate than acute or institutional care.  The year before death is often a time of dependence and a high intensity of health service consumption.  Although care at home is provided primarily by families, formal home care is also a critical component in any continuum of care.
authors.affiliation: Abt Associates, USA.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grabbe
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Demi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Whittington
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Branch
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lambert
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006302:Health Services Research; D006304:Health Status; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States