[The physical and mental health of home care recipients: A quantitative secondary data analysis]

The physical and mental health of home care recipients: A quantitative secondary data analysis Abstract: Background: Although more and more people are being supported by home care services, there is a lack of information regarding the health limitations and needs of this group. Aim: The objective of this study was to examine the health status of people with home care needs in Switzerland. Method: A secondary data analysis based on the HomeCareData database, which contains routine data on people with home care requirements in Switzerland, was conducted. All cases with a fully completed Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI-HC) were included. Data on various items of the RAI-HC and other standardized scale scores with reference to physical or mental health were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: In total, 74,674 data records were evaluated. Physical limitations most frequently manifested in the form of fatigue (40.6%), pain (29.7%) or within the scope of impaired hearing (21.9%). Around a third of individuals sampled had experienced a fall in the last 90 days. With regard to mental health, the most frequent signs were fear of falling (33.5%), loneliness (13.9%), depression (12.8%) and anxiety (4%). Approximately one third showed signs of impaired cognition and polypharmacy was detected in almost 68% of those evaluated. Conclusion: Considering the comparatively high prevalence of mental health problems among people with home care requirements, there is a need to develop appropriate skills of employees in home care services and for adequate care planning.