Utilization of Home Health Care Services by Elderly Patients with Heart Failure

Abstract

Heart failure is one of the most common reasons for admission to home health care among older adults Patients with heart failure present complex challenges for home health care agency staff, given the chronic yet variable nature of the disease and the importance of behavioral factors in long-term management of heart failure. The purpose of this study was to examine the patterns of health service utilization and outcomes of home care among elderly home care patients with heart failure. The sample included 104 patients with a primary or secondary diagnosis of heart failure admitted to a large Medicare-certified home care agency. Finding from the study revealed that subjects received an average of 11 skilled nursing visits over a 37-day period. Twelve percent of the subjects were rehospitalized before their home care treatment plans were completed. Although the percentage of patients rehospitalized in this study was relatively low, additional research is needed that will investigate the relationship between home care nurses' interventions and the patient outcomes associated with these interventions.

Keywords

heart failure home care outcomes

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