Predictors of Long Term Care Facility Use among the Elderly

Abstract

This research uses data from the Manitoba Longitudinal Study on Aging and multiple logistic regression analysis to assess the impact of twenty-eight sociodemographic and health status variables on nursing home admission. The results indicate that 1) all the short-term predictors continue to be significantly associated with facility bed use in the long run, suggesting that the high risk elderly can be identified relatively early; 2) the key sociodemographic characteristics are better predictors of admission than health and physical functioning characteristics; and 3) time itself appears to change the relationship of the study variables to admission.

Formal and informal support: the great divide

“…In addition, there is evidence that those elders who receive formal support instead of informal support are at increased risk of nursing home placement (Newman et al, 1990). However, Shapiro and Tate (1985) found that contact with relatives actually increased the risk of nursing home placement, while Kosloski and Montgomery (1995) found that formal service use decreased the risk of institutionalization. Jette et al (1995) believe that a limitation of research on delaying institutionalization is the neglect of this relationship between formal and informal support.…”

Stress, Role Captivity, and the Cessation of Caregiving

“…Second, Pruchno and associates (1990) report that the probability of placement over the next year is highest for those who have provided care for only a short time. Third, Shapiro and Tate (1985) find that time itself affects the relationship of various characteristics to nursing home admissions. Together, these studies indicate that the analysis of antecedents to placement needs to account for the length of time a person has been at risk of placement.…”

Factors Associated With Nursing-Home Entry for Elders in Manitoba, Canada

“…Studies have consistently shown that age, functional status and mental status are the best predictors of nursinghome entry (8)(9)(10). Inconsistent results have been observed for "enabling factors," with some studies showing a reduction in the hazard of nursing-home entry for individuals reporting certain types of income, such as private pension income or rental income (11), whereas other studies have not found any significant association between income and nursing-home entry (4,6,8,12).…”