Common medical and social problems encountered by patients taking home care service

Introduction and aim: Home care services (HCS) should need to meet the health and care requirements of the elderly and disabled people. In this study, we aimed to reveal the overall profile, the current medical and social conditions, the level of dependency in daily living activities and medical and social problems of the home care patients and the caregivers in Aydın. Material and method: The study was designed as a cross sectional descriptive study. Face to face interview and Katz and Lawton daily living activities scales were applied to the patients and the caregivers (n=718) between June and December of the year 2013. The demographic information, medical and social conditions and medical and social problems were asked to the patients and the caregivers. The obtained data was statistically evaluated. Results: Of the 451 people taking HCS that were participated in the study, 303 (%67,2) were women, and the mean age was 70,5 years. The majority of them were elderly (75-84 years n: 154; %34,1 and >85 years n:115; %25,5). The number of the bedridden patients were 192 (%42,6), and the rate was higher among women. The first 3 most common were hypertension (n:219; %48,6), cerebrovascular disease (CVD) (n:115; %25,5) and diabetes mellitus (DM) (n:95; %21,1). Nearly half of the patients (n:179; %39,7) were using assistive devices. Dependency rate in daily living activities were high. The dependency rate was higher in advanced age group. Physical examination (n:414; %48,6) was the most frequently mentioned home care service, and the referral rate was 9,3%. The most frequent daily social activity was television (TV) watching (mean=3,24 ± 1,99 hours). Approximately, two thirds of the patients mentioned that they feel themselves socially isolated. The 402 (%89,1) of home caregivers were women and the mean age was found to be 52,6 years. A considerable number of caregivers (n:93; %20,7) were diagnosed with anxiety disorder. Conclusion: The importance of Home Health Care Service (HCS) is increasing. The scope of the services should be built up by other social components (social activities, social support programmes and etc.). Besides health support, a comprehensive home care service model covering social and public supports should be developed. Key words: Home care, home health, medical, social, Katz, Lawton, daily living activities.