Individual and Contextual Determinants of Social Homecare Usage in Slovenia.
BACKGROUND
Social homecare is important for older people, as it enables them to remain in their own homes during worsening health, thus relieving the burden on institutional facilities such as homes for the elderly or nursing homes and hospitals.


METHODS
A representative survey of social homecare users was employed to assess determinants of the scope of social homecare in Slovenia. Multiple regression analysis was used to evaluate determinants defined by Andersen's behavioral model that affect the scope of social homecare.


RESULTS
As expected, need (Functional impairment B = .378, P = 0.000) was the most important explanatory component, followed by availability of informal care network (Lives alone B = -.136, P = 0.000; Has children B = - .142; P = 0.000) and other contextual factors such as total costs of the services (B = -.075; P = 0.003) and temporal availability of services (B=-.075, P=0.012). The model explained 18% of variability in the scope of social homecare.


CONCLUSIONS
This study showed that data on the individual level, as opposed to data on an aggregated level, show different determinants of social homecare utilization. Moreover, the results showed that social homecare is especially important in two circumstances: when older people have a high level of need and when they do not have access to informal care networks. Contextual factors had a moderate effect on the scope of social homecare, which shows universal access to the latter at the individual level.
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences, Kardeljeva pl. 5, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Valentina
V
Hlebec
Social home care; health; older people; regression analysis
Health Serv Res. 1983 Spring;18(1):49-74
6841113
Eur J Public Health. 2013 Apr;23(2):241-6
22683772
J Aging Health. 2004 Feb;16(1):88-115
14979312
Health Serv Res. 1974 Fall;9(3):208-20
4436074
Gerontologist. 2002 Feb;42(1):4-16
11815694
J Health Soc Behav. 1995 Mar;36(1):1-10
7738325
Milbank Mem Fund Q Health Soc. 1973 Winter;51(1):95-124
4198894
J Health Soc Behav. 1987 Jun;28(2):184-96
3611704
Eur J Ageing. 2011 Sep 23;9(1):27-37
28804405
Gerontologist. 1999 Apr;39(2):150-8
10224711
Gerontologist. 1983 Feb;23(1):64-70
6219923
Health Soc Care Community. 2002 Sep;10(5):348-60
12390221