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Planning for long-term care: concept, definition, and measurement
Marie-Luise Friedemann1, Frederick L Newman, Laura R Seff
1Florida International University, School of Nursing, ACII 203, North Miami, FL 33181, USA. friedemm@fiu.edu
The Gerontologist
|August 28, 2004
Summary
A new instrument effectively measures long-term care planning behaviors, assessing housing choices, social support readiness, health maintenance, financial strategies, and acceptance of assistance needs.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Health Services Research
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Long-term care planning is crucial for aging populations.
- Existing instruments may not fully capture multifaceted planning behaviors.
- Understanding planning behaviors informs interventions for future dependency.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a reliable instrument for measuring long-term care planning behavior.
- To operationalize key constructs related to long-term care planning.
Main Methods:
- A 23-item questionnaire was developed based on proposed constructs.
- A telephone survey was conducted with 150 adults aged 55-70 in Miami-Dade County, Florida.
- Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and reliability testing were performed.
Main Results:
- The final instrument demonstrated high internal reliability (coefficients >.70) and excellent model fit (CFI=.987, RMSEA=.050).
- The instrument's five subscales captured diverse planning aspects: housing, social support, health, finances, and acceptance of help.
- Planning behaviors included choices about housing, reliance on social networks, health maintenance, financial investments, and acknowledging the need for assistance.
Conclusions:
- The validated instrument is suitable for future research on long-term care planning.
- Practitioners can utilize this instrument for diagnostic assessments and to tailor educational interventions.
- The tool can enhance awareness and planning for future long-term care needs and dependency.