Community-Based Long-Term Care Services: If We Build It, Will They Come?

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Health Services Research
• Sociology of Health

Background:

• Caregivers play a pivotal role in the utilization of community-based long-term care (CBLTC) services.
• Understanding caregiver perceptions of service attributes is crucial for predicting service uptake.
• Long-term care (LTC) service design and promotion should consider both care recipients' and caregivers' perspectives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between caregivers' perceptions of community-based long-term care (CBLTC) services and their subsequent utilization.
• To identify which specific perceived attributes of CBLTC services most strongly predict service use.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal data from 1,416 care recipient-caregiver dyads in Singapore (first two waves) were analyzed.
• Four perceived attributes of LTC services were measured: service quality, convenience, social connectedness, and affordability.
• A 5-point scale was used to assess these perceived attributes.

Main Results:

• Perceived affordability was significantly associated with the utilization of all types of CBLTC services.
• Perceived service quality and convenience were significantly associated with the use of center-based LTC services.
• Other attributes like social connectedness showed no significant association with service use in this cohort.

Conclusions:

• Caregiver perceptions, particularly regarding affordability, quality, and convenience, are significant predictors of CBLTC service use.
• These findings underscore the importance of aligning CBLTC service characteristics with caregiver expectations.
• Integrated healthcare models should incorporate caregiver needs and preferences to enhance service adoption and effectiveness.