Preventive home visits to older people in Southern Sweden

It seems urgent to further develop and modify models of preventive measures in order to prolong a healthy functional and social situation for older people, as this population is increasing globally. The aim of the study was to describe a Swedish model of preventive home visits for persons aged 78 years with the focus on the effect on physical and social well-being, and the participants' and the visitors' experience of the home visits.

Three annual visits were performed and included 150 persons, 78 years old at the first visit. Data were collected in the form of a structured interview with the persons who received the visits and as a questionnaire for their visitors.

Differences over time could be seen for the participants' physical and social activity, indicating that there was a deterioration between year one and two that was not seen in year three. The results further showed that the participants felt more secure and well informed as a result of the visits. The visitors said that they had gained a new, more positive view of older people and increased job satisfaction as a result of the visits and emphasized the impact on their own professional development.

As no control group was used, the interpretation of effects concerning health factors has to be interpreted with caution. The visits did, however, have a positive impact on the participants and the visitors.