Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 1, 2026

Assessment of Dependence in Activities of Daily Living Among Older Patients in an Acute Care Unit
Published on: September 30, 2020
Is Aging in Place Delaying Nursing Home Admission?
Yuchi Young1, John Kalamaras2, Lindsay Kelly1
1Department of Health Policy, Management, and Behavior, School of Public Health, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY.
Objectives:
This study examines whether aging in place (community-based living before admission to a nursing home) delays nursing home admission among New York State home health care recipients.
Design:
Retrospective cohort study (January 2007-December 2012).
Setting:
New York State.
Participants:
Adults age 65+ who received home health services for at least 2 months before permanent nursing home admission.
Measurement And Analysis:
Permanent transition is defined as home care patients who are discharged to and stay at a nursing home for more than 3 months. Data were abstracted from the Minimum Data Set (MDS) and Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS). Descriptive and bivariate Kruskal-Wallis and χ(2) tests were performed.
Results:
The average age of nursing home residents at admission remained steady at 83 years between 2007 and 2012. The proportion of minority populations (Asian, black, Hispanic/Latino) increased, whereas the white population declined (P < .0001). The average length of stay at home increased 8 months, from 17 months in 2007 to 25 months in 2012 (P < .0001). Chronic conditions with significant increases in prevalence during the study period were hypertension (P < .0009), dementia (P < .0001), heart failure (P = .05), urinary incontinence (P < .0001), and bowel incontinence (P < .0001). Increases in functional disabilities requiring extensive human assistance included toileting, dressing, personal hygiene, and transferring (all P < .001).
Conclusion:
Home health services enabled recipients to remain at home 8 months longer, thus delaying nursing home entry. Given the increase in prevalence of comorbidities and disability, we anticipate a concomitant increase in support services at the nursing home. These results may inform policy and staffing decisions regarding adjustments in required caregivers' credentials and nurse-patient ratios.
Related Concept Videos
Continuing Care
Drug Dosing: Geriatric Patients
Documentation in Long-Term and Home Healthcare Setting
Long-Term Care Facilities
Aging
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
Planning Nursing Care I
Cognitive Development During Adulthood

