RÉSUMÉ
Objective:In order to develop an appropriate care service system and care security system for the elderly in urban communities, it is necessary to gain a comprehensive understanding of their needs and utilization of care services, as well as the cost of care and the factors that influence it.This will provide a theoretical basis for developing effective countermeasures.Methods:A stratified random cluster sampling method was utilized to conduct a questionnaire survey on individuals aged 60 and above in the Xuzhou urban community.The survey aimed to gain insight into the needs, utilization, and expenditure of care services for the elderly.To analyze the factors influencing care expenditure, a single factor χ2 test and Tobit regression model were employed. Results:In our survey of 1 623 elderly individuals, it was found that 32.4%(526 people)had been bedridden for more than one day in the past year and were unable to care for themselves.Of the elderly who are bedridden, 393 individuals(74.7%)have received care services from professional institutions, with a focus on medical care(312 people, 79.4%)and rehabilitation care(95 people, 24.2%).In terms of financial expenditures, 91.7% of respondents(1 489 people)reported spending zero yuan in the past year, while 6.0%(96 people)spent between 1 and 4 999 yuan.Only 1.0%(17 people)reported spending between 5 000 and 9 999 yuan, and 1.3%(21 people)spent 10 000 yuan or more.The findings from the univariate analysis revealed that various factors, including marriage, age, medical expenses, and life satisfaction had a significant impact on the care expenses of the elderly(all P<0.05).Furthermore, the Tobit regression model demonstrated that certain variables were particularly influential in determining care expenses.Specifically, elderly individuals with higher monthly income(Me=3.114), advanced age(Me=3.458), knowledge of care insurance(Me=7.647), disability(Me=10.998), no spouse(Me=14.387), and dementia(Me=20.473)had significantly higher care expenses. Conclusions:The survey conducted in Xuzhou suggests that the demand for care services is high, yet the utilization rate remains low, leading to a significant burden of care costs.To address these challenges, we must prioritize the care needs of disabled, mentally retarded, and advanced-age elderly individuals.We should also focus on enhancing medical and rehabilitation care services, improving the overall quality of elderly care, and promoting the development of a comprehensive elderly care service system and care security system that caters to the specific needs and financial constraints of the elderly population.
RÉSUMÉ
As cost pressures have escalated, policy makers, politicians, health care providers and families have tried to devise ways to reduce health care costs. While originally developed to enhance patient control and to provide better care at the end of life, hospice care has recently received significant attention as a mean of reducing health care costs. As a program providing care for patients who are dying at their homes, hospice has expanded slowly since the opening of the first hospice in Korea in 1963. Therefore, a variety of services that responds to the needs and concerns of many dying people and their families is limited The purpose of this study was to determine the potential cost savings at the end of life among patients who used home hospice compared with the patients who received institutional care in Korea. This study used a retrospective, descriptive design. The sample for this study included 46 patients who died of lung cancer: 25 patients who received home hospice care and 21 patients who received institutional care. Data on patient characteristics, kinds and frequencies of provided treatment and nursing services, and hospice and hospital charges during the last month before death were collected. Cost of care was measured by the average cost per patient per day in the last month of life. The results of the study indicated that there were significant differences in average cost of care between home hospice sample and institutional care sample (t=9.956, p<.001; home hospice sample: M=18,102 won, institutional care sample: M=317,578 won). The cost of the home hospice sample was approximately 6% of the cost of institutional care. The majority of the home hospice nursing services were education (35.7%) and supportive counseling (25.2%), followed by medication management (13.6%), assessment (12.1%), basic nursing (7.2%), treatment (5.5%) and others. In institutional care sample, basic nursing and treatment were more emphasized than education or supportive counseling among the nursing services provided. The results of this study showed the potential for hospice to reduce costs and implications for policymakers and clinicians to incorporate hospice program into the formal health care delivery system in Korea.