title: Health-care and home-care utilization among frail elderly persons in Belgium.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The patterns of health- and home-care utilization among Belgian frail elderly persons living at home with varying socio-economic status are currently unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional study based on a representative sample of 4777 elderly participants (≥65 years) in the Belgian Health Interview Survey the prevalence of frailty, as determined by items referring to the Fried phenotype, was estimated according to age, gender, comorbidity, place of residence, survey year, living situation and socio-economic status. Differing health-care utilization [contacts with a general practitioner (GP), specialist and emergency department; and hospital admission) and home-care utilization (home nursing, home help and meals-on-wheels] patterns among the frail, prefrail and robust subpopulations were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 9.3% respondents (426) were classified as frail, 30.7% (1636) as prefrail and 60.0% (2715) as robust. Frailty was associated with age, gender, comorbidity, region, survey year and socio-economic status. The frail and prefrail groups were more likely than the robust to contact a GP, a specialist or an emergency department and were more likely to be admitted to hospital, independent of age, gender, comorbidity, survey year, living situation, region and socio-economic status. They were also more likely to appeal to home nursing, home help and meals-on-wheels than the robust participants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even after adjustment for potential confounders, including age, gender and comorbidity, frailty among Belgian elderly persons is associated with their socio-economic status and is strongly associated with their health- and home-care utilization.
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Antwerp, Hospital Network, Antwerp, Belgium. sarah.hoeck@ua.ac.be
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Hoeck
authors: Guido
authors: G
authors: François
authors: Joanna
authors: J
authors: Geerts
authors: Johan
authors: J
authors: Van der Heyden
authors: Maurits
authors: M
authors: Vandewoude
authors: Guido
authors: G
authors: Van Hal
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006304:Health Status; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D057566:Self Report; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors