title: In Hospital We Trust: Experiences of older peoples' decision to seek hospital care.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore how older people experience and perceive decisions to seek hospital care while receiving home health care. Twenty-two Swedish older persons were interviewed about their experiences of decision to seek hospital while receiving home health care. The interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The findings consist of one interpretative theme describing an overall confidence in hospital staff to deliver both medical and psychosocial health care, In Hospital We Trust, with three underlying categories: Superior Health Care, People's Worries, and Biomedical Needs. Findings indicate a need for establishing confidence and ensuring sufficient qualifications, both medical and psychological, in home health care staff to meet the needs of older people. Understanding older peoples' arguments for seeking hospital care may have implications for how home care staff address individuals' perceived needs. Fulfillment of perceived health needs may reduce avoidable hospitalizations and consequently improve quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Gerontology, School of Health Sciences, Jönköping University, 551 11 Jönköping, Sweden. Electronic address: jenny.hallgren@hhj.hj.se.
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hallgren
authors.affiliation: Institute of Gerontology, School of Health Sciences, Jönköping University, 551 11 Jönköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ernsth Bravell
authors.affiliation: Institute of Gerontology, School of Health Sciences, Jönköping University, 551 11 Jönköping, Sweden; Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: anna.dahl-aslan@ki.se.
authors.forename: Anna K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Dahl Aslan
authors.affiliation: Region Jönköping County, 551 14 Jönköping, Sweden; The Jönköping Academy for Improvement of Health and Welfare, School of Health Sciences, Jönköping University, 551 11 Jönköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Iréne
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Josephson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006699:Home Care Services; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D010360:Patient Transfer; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011788:Quality of Life; D013548:Sweden
keywords: Decision making; Home health care; Hospitalization; Older persons; Qualitative research methods