title: Utilization and patterns of community healthcare services for senior residents in long-term care facilities in Taiwan: a nationwide study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Community healthcare is one of the many important services used to care for the disabled elderly in aging societies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the utilization and patterns of community healthcare services used by senior residents in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) in Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Secondary data analyses were conducted of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database for 9338 LTCF senior residents receiving community healthcare services throughout the 2004 calendar year. The community healthcare services used by male and female LTCF senior residents were also compared by Chi-square testing. Descriptive statistics are used to present the patterns of professional visits and services by contracted healthcare facilities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  About one-third of those senior residents living in LTCFs in Taiwan in 2004 received community healthcare services. Female residents received a higher percentage of community healthcare services than males in all age groups (p<0.001). Community home nursing care institutions provided 67% of healthcare visits and professional visits. Of those services provided to patients, the majority of the skilled nursing services were attributable to replacement of nasogastric tube (55%) and urinary catheter (38%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Whether or not the replacement of nasogastric tubes and urinary catheters among the LTCF senior resident population is an appropriate use of time and targeted medical resources needs further investigation. When addressing concerns about the community healthcare needs of senior residents of LTCFs, policymakers should carefully consider the current shortage of professional healthcare workers as they assess strategies to best meet the needs of the elderly in Taiwan.
authors: Division of Family Medicine, Taipei Hospital, Department of Health, Taiwan, ROC.
authors: Hsiao-Ting
authors: HT
authors: Chang
authors: Ming-Hwai
authors: MH
authors: Lin
authors: I-Hsuan
authors: IH
authors: Hwang
authors: Hsiu-Yun
authors: HY
authors: Lai
authors: Mei-Man
authors: MM
authors: Ho
authors: Chia-Hui
authors: CH
authors: Lin
authors: Chun-Ku
authors: CK
authors: Chen
authors: Shinn-Jang
authors: SJ
authors: Hwang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D009313:National Health Programs; D013624:Taiwan