Continuous Use of Home Care Services and Functional Performance: A Population-Based Approach

Home care (HC) services are the foundational service in Taiwan, such as personal care, housekeeping, showers, meal preparation, and so on. We used population-representative data to evaluate the effects of HC services use on the long-term functional performance of older adults.

This longitudinal study used latent growth curve modeling, measured as trajectories in activities of daily living (ADL) ability. We retrieved data for 1,851 care recipients from the Long-Term Care Service Management System database.

Continuous use of HC services had positive effects on functional performance over time of declining functional capacity (β = .075, p < .05). While greater age was associated with slower increases in ADL scores, being female and living alone were associated with faster increases in ADL scores.

Continuous use of the HC services provided has a significant impact on maintaining or improving functional performance among older adults in the early stage of declined functional capacity.