title: [Changes in the quality of life of older people living at home: does type of care play a role?].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether a change in physical, psychological and social dimensions of quality of life of older people living at home is associated with receiving formal care, compared to informal care and no care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from the observation cycles in 1998 and 2001 of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA) were used. Older people receiving formal homecare in 1998 were compared to older people receiving informal care and to older people receiving no care at all in 1998 on subjective scores on 3-year changes in self-perceived health, loneliness, positive affect and satisfaction with life. The data were analysed using linear regression analysis and ANOVA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all groups there is a change for the worse between 1998 and 2001 in the four aspects of quality of life. Self-perceived health declines significantly more in the group receiving formal care compared to the group without care, but this is explained by a higher score on functional limitations in 1998. Loneliness increases significantly more in the group receiving formal care, even after correction for confounders. In the group receiving formal care the satisfaction with life decreases significantly more compared to the group receiving no care and the group with informal care. An interaction effect with gender was found, showing that after correction for confounders this difference is maintained for the women but not for the men. There is no significant difference between the three care groups regarding changes in positive affect.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Older men and women who receive formal home care experience an increase in loneliness, and older women who receive formal care experience less satisfaction with life, compared to women who receive informal care or no care. Future research should confirm these results and investigate the mechanisms underlying these changes.
authors: VU Medisch Centrum, EMGO instituut, LASA, Amsterdam.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Boumans
authors: D J H
authors: DJ
authors: Deeg
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006701:Home Nursing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008132:Loneliness; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*