Clinical and epidemiological characterization of patients receiving home care in the city of Maceió, in the state of Alagoas, Brazil

Abstract

Objective: To clinically and epidemiologically characterize patients receiving home care in the city of Maceio, in the state of Alagoas, Brazil. Methods: An observational, crosssectional study with a sample of 859 patients was carried out, based on data obtained from the medical records of institutions that provide a home care service. A total of 445 patients were from a public service and 414 were from a private service. Descriptive analysis was used for the demographic, clinical and functional variables. Results: Most patients were elderly, female, bedridden, fed orally and had neurological disorders, with stroke the most common diagnosis. Regarding patient evolution, 16.8% of individuals were discharged from home care, 45% of patients died and 24% were hospitalized during the period of home care. A total of 9% of patients had a tracheostomy, 84.7% breathed room air, 9.3% used oxygen, 4% used noninvasive mechanical ventilation, 1.9% used invasive mechanical ventilation, and 24.9% of patients had pressure ulcers. All patients received medical visits, with 693 receiving nursing care, 767 undergoing physiotherapy, 233 receiving speech therapy sessions, 665 patients accompanied by a nutritionist, 64 undergoing occupational therapy sessions and 98 receiving counseling. Conclusion: It was noted that some results differed from literature and between the public and private service. This divergence could be related to the specific epidemiology of each region and the type of insurance paying for care (Unified Health Service or Private).

Profile of patients attended by the speech therapists of the home care service

“…The results of the present study revealed that strokes were most common, which corroborates the findings of other studies conducted in Brazil 18,19,22 and elsewhere according to Baumann et al (2014) 23 . Importantly, stroke survivors are often unable to perform routine activities and suffer communication (e.g., language, writing, and speaking) and body mobility disorders.…”

“…prevalent even after the onset of morbidities such as stroke and cerebral palsy, which were the most prevalent forms found in this study. This result has also been found by other studies 23,24 , but future studies should evaluate the degree of disease severityto facilitate response and improvement in particular situations where oral feeding remains limited.…”

“…This effect is reflected in major changes to these patients' quality of life and requires appropriate and multidisciplinary treatment 20,24 . In addition, the importance of developing public policies such as home care that aims to improve quality of lifeis emphasised 4,19,23,25 .…”

Factors associated with the functional capacity of elderly individuals with hypertension and/or diabetes mellitus

“…This adaptation possibly implies a decrease in quality of life. 23 Functional capacity among elderly people Mota TA, Alves MB, Silva VA, Oliveira FA, Brito PMC, Silva RS Other variables such as gender, marital status and schooling level did not present a significant association for the development of dependence among elderly people, although some studies present statistically significant associations between these variables and functional capacity.…”

Accuracy of Survival Prediction Instruments in Older Patients Undergoing Home-Based Palliative Care in Curitiba, Brazil

“…O SAD atende pacientes predominantemente idosos, com multimorbidades e altas taxas de restrição ao leito e de dependência. 10 Por isso, há uma íntima relação entre cuidados paliativos, cuidados domiciliares e a população idosa, tornando-se importante avaliar o prognóstico nesse contexto.…”