This article compares the use of health services by a random sample of 394 noninstitutionalized elderly. Elderly persons without family used hospital emergency rooms (ER) 7 to 30 times more often than elderly persons with family in the area. Differences among them for physicians' visits or hospital utilization, however, were not statistically significant. Because elderly without family in the area had similar health status as elderly with family, absence of family access to a lay referral system is thought to be the principal reason for increased use of ER services, especially for nonurgent care.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Branch, L.
and A. Jette1982"Prospective study of long-term care institutionalization among the aged."-Amer. J. of Public Health72: 1373-1379.
2.
Brody, S. J.1983"Formal long-term support system for the elderly," in R.D.T. Capeet al. (eds.) Fundamentals of Geriatric Medicine. New York: Raven.
3.
Coe, R. M.
, F. D. Wolinsky, D. K. Miller, and J. M. Prendergast1984a"Social network relationship and use of physician services: a reexamination."Research on Aging6: 243-256.
4.
Coe, R. M.
, F. D. Wolinsky, D. K. Miller and J. M. Prendergast1984b"Complementary and compensatory functions in the social network relationships among the elderly."Gerontologist24: 396.400.
5.
Duke University Center for the study of Aging and Human Development1978Multidimensional Functional Assessment: The OARS Methodology. Durham, NC: Duke University.
6.
Freidson, E.1963Patients' Views of Medical Practice. New York: Russell Sage Foundation. General Accounting Office (GAO)
7.
1977Home Health: The Need for a National Policy to Better Provide for the Elderly. Publication No. HRD 78-19. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.
8.
Katz, S.
, A. B. Ford, R. W. Moskowitz, B. A. Jackson and M. M. Jaffe1963"Studies of illness in the aged. The index of ADL: a standardized measure of biological and psychosocial function."J. of the Amer. Medical Assn.185: 914-919.
9.
Lawton, M. P.1975"The Philadelphia Geriatric Center morale scale: a revision."J. of Gerontology30: 85-89.
10.
Rundall, T. G.
and C. Evashwick1982"Social network and help-seeking among the elderly."Research on Aging4: 205-226.
11.
Shanas, E.1979"Social myth as hypotheses: the care of family relations of older people."Gerontologist19: 3-9
12.
Silverstone, B.1978"Family relationships of the elderly: problems and implications for helping professionals."Aged Care and Services Rev.1: 2-9.
13.
Wolinsky, F. D.
, R. M. Coe, D. K. Miller, J. M. Prendergast, M. J. Creel, and M. N. Chavez1984a"Measurement of the global and functional dimensions of health status in the elderly."J. of Gerontology39: 88-92.
14.
Wolinsky, F. D.
, R. M. Miller, D. K. J. M. Prendergast, M. J. Creel, and M. N. Chavez1984b"Health services utilization among the non-institutionalized elderly."J. of Health and Social Behavior24: 325-337.
15.
Wolinsky, F. D.
, R. M. Coe, M. N. Chavez, J. M. Prendergast, and D. K. Miller1985a"Further assessment of the reliability and validity of a nutritional risk measure: analysis of a three-wave panel study of elderly adults." Health Services Research.
16.
Wolinsky, F. D.
, J. M. Prendergast, D. K. Miller, R. M. Coe, and M. N. Chavez1985b"Preliminary validation of a nutritional risk measure among the elderly."Amer. J. of Preventive Medicine1: 53-59.
