ABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the effect of home-based care alongside with health promotion on Wechat towards disabled centenarians, to provide the basis for improving the home and community based care towards the oldest old. Methods A total of 158 indigious centenarians in Hainan were surveyed and 78 of them who were considered disabled by Barthel criteria were selected and then divided into intervention group (with health education on Wechat platform and nursing visit) and control group (with nursing care handbook) by the serial number of them. The living quality,incidence of adverse health events and positive feeling of family care givers of two group were evaluated and compared after 6 months intervention. Results After 6 months of home- care intervention, significant statistical differences in incidence of adverse health events were found between intervention group and control group, which compromise falls (2 cases vs. 13 cases, χ2 = 8.91, P = 0.00), pain (1 case vs. 17 cases, χ2 = 17.28, P =0.00) and constipation (6 cases vs. 15 cases, χ2 = 4.75, P = 0.03). When it came to positive feeling of care givers, the scores of intervention groupwere (33.44±3.72), (36.46±4.06) points, control groupwere (28.10± 3.25), (28.15±3.15) points, significant differences were found at 3rd and 6th month′s follow-up between two groups, which t value represent 4.955 (P=0.00) and 10.142 (P=0.00), respectively. It also suggested that the differences in living quality of the elderly were statistical significant when refered to discomfortble or pain scored 1.58±0.50 and 2.37±0.63 (t=-6.154,P=0.00), and anxiety or depression scored1.73±0.64 and 2.32 ± 0.70 (t=- 3.889,P=0.00). Conclusions Health education on Wechat platform with nursing visit can enhance the effect of home- based care by improving the living quality, incidence of adverse health events of the elderly and positive feeling of family care givers.