Adult day care for the frail elderly: outcomes, satisfaction, and cost.
OBJECTIVE
To assess outcomes and satisfaction among frail elderly day care clients and their informal caregivers and the impact of adult day care on the cost of health services.


METHODS
One-hundred eight elderly participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group (immediate admission to an adult day care center) and 104 participants to the control group (3 months on a waiting list).


RESULTS
Participants' and caregivers' subjective perceptions of the day center's effects were positive. However, using standard research instruments, there was no evidence of an effect of day center attendance on the client's anxiety, depression, or functional status; on caregiver burden; or on the cost of health services.


CONCLUSIONS
It is difficult to demonstrate objectively the benefits of programs and interventions that are perceived by clients, caregivers, and staff to have positive effects. In future studies, maintenance of high levels of participation should be incorporated as an explicit program goal.
Baumgarten
Mona
M
Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Maryland-Baltimore, USA. mbaumgar@epi.umaryland.edu
Lebel
Paule
P
Laprise
Helene
H
Leclerc
Chantal
C
Quinn
Charlene
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003631:Day Care, Medical / Q000191:economics; D016330:Frail Elderly; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States