title: Which need characteristics influence healthcare service utilization in home care arrangements in Germany?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We see a growing number of older adults receiving long-term care in industrialized countries. The Healthcare Utilization Model by Andersen suggests that individual need characteristics influence utilization. The purpose of this study is to analyze correlations between need characteristics and service utilization in home care arrangements.
  
  
  METHODS
  1,152 respondents answered the questionnaire regarding their integration of services in their current and future care arrangements. Care recipients with high long-term care needs answered the questionnaire on their own, the family caregiver assisted the care recipient in answering the questions, or the family caregiver responded to the questionnaire on behalf of the care recipient. They were asked to rank specific needs according to their situation. We used descriptive statistics and regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Respondents are widely informed about services. Nursing services and counseling are the most used services. Short-term care and guidance and training have a high potential for future use. Day care, self-help groups, and mobile services were the most frequently rejected services in our survey. Women use more services than men and with rising age utilization increases. Long waiting times and bad health of the primary caregiver increases the chance of integrating services into the home care arrangements.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The primary family caregiver has a high impact on service utilization. This indicates that the whole family should be approached when offering services. Professionals should react upon the specific needs of care dependents and their families.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School Family Health in the Lifecourse, Faculty of Business Administration and Social Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück, Caprivistraße 30a, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany. Dorin@wi.hs-osnabrueck.de.
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dorin
authors.forename: Suzi C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: Lea
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Beckmann
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: große Schlarmann
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Faatz
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Metzing
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Büscher
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D020380:Needs Assessment; D012044:Regression Analysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires