Preferences for accepting prescribed community-based, psychosocial, and in-home services by older adults

The purpose of this study was to describe the preferences of minority and non-Hispanic White home bound older adults aged 60 and over for making decisions to accept and arrange community-based, psychosocial, and in-home services prescribed by Home Health clinical social workers (N=249). Overall, prescribed community-based, psychosocial, and in-home service referrals were accepted by participants. In-home supportive services, Short- and Long-Term Case Management, and Psychiatric Nurse were the most frequently arranged services by clinical social workers. Resistance by both minority and non-Hispanic Whites to the arrangement of services was evident for several other services. Social workers, case managers, and other professionals involved in the arrangement and planning of services for similar older adults can use the results to gain an understanding of both the specialized services prescribed by clinical social workers to functionally dependent older adults and the decisions older adults make to accept and/or arrange such services.