An evaluation of home health care needs and Quality of Life among the elderly in a semi-rural area of Western Turkey

IntroductionThe aim of the study was to evaluate the Home Health Care (HHC) need and associated factors and the relationship between HHC need and Quality of Life (QoL) in the elderly.Materials and methodThe study was carried out in a semi-rural area of Eskisehir, Turkey. It included all households with people 65 years old and above. Participants completed questionnaires on socio-demographic characteristics, the use of medical devices, the use of medical equipment and status of physician-diagnosed disease, the use of HHC, the Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living (Katz ADL), and included the Index of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL), and a Short Form-12 QoL Questionnaire (SF-12). Multiple linear regression analyses were used to determine the factors associated with QoL.ResultsThe study included 1018 (10.3%) people who were 65 years old and over. The prevalence of HHC need was found to be 26.2%. Only 2.8% of the individuals who had an HHC need had used formal HHC services. In the present study, according to multivariate logistic regression analyses, those over 75 years of age who were not able to take personal care of themselves, had chronic diseases and were dependent, according to the Katz ADL and IADL, had greater need for HHC. Upon analysis, HHC need was the main factor affecting QoL of the individuals.ConclusionWe found that a very small proportion of those in need were receiving formal HHC. Evaluating the HHC need and providing HHC services are important for increasing QoL of the elderly.