[Predictive factors of institutionalization of dependent elderly persons]. / Facteurs prédictifs de la rupture de la prise en charge à domicile des personnes âgées dépendantes.

BACKGROUND: This study analyses the factors related to the institutionalization of dependent patients living in the community and receiving informal care from relatives. METHODS: The study is based on a 3-year follow-up of a sample of 205 pairs (carereceiver-caregiver). Eligible care receivers were aged 65 years and over, living at home, and physically or mentally dependent. Caregivers were interviewed at inclusion and three years later in order to know whether the elderly was institutionalized or still living at home. RESULTS: Cox proportional hazards analysis indicated that significant predictors of subsequent institutionalization were intention to institutionalize (p = 0.001), caregiver type (p = 0.015), caregiver's subjective perception of patient behavior problems (p = 0.009), and, at a lesser extent, to live in a urban environment (p = 0.051). The functional status and the carereceiver's age were not predictive of institutionalization. CONCLUSION: This study emphasizes the importance of subjective factors and characteristics of the primary caregiver in predicting institutionalization of elderly dependent persons.

[Aged couples and management of dependence. Study of 75 helping spouses]. / Couples âgés et gestion de la dépendance. Etude de 75 conjoints aidants.

The article displays the findings of a survey conducted among 34 husbands and 41 wives who are helping their disabled spouses. The questionnaire deals with the degree of dependency of the helped spouse, his/her health status, the health status of the helper, how the latter copes with the helping tasks, how these tasks are felt and carried out, how is the relationship between the spouses in the past and at present, what are the prospects envisaged by the helper regarding in particular the transfer of the disabled spouse to a nursing home. A scale is used for measuring the various answers.