Disability among home-nursed patients and home-help clients

218 chronically ill or elderly (65 years or over) home-nursed patients and home-help clients were studied to obtain information about the degree of disability, factors associated with disability, and predictors of disability. About 9% of the patients and clients needed help to a moderate extent in daily and self-care activities, but none was totally dependent. Poorly self-perceived health status, dementia and neurological disease were associated with serious disability. Male sex and living alone were correlated with high functional capacities. Only one-tenth of the patients and clients alive after a follow-up period of 28 months were more disabled at the end of the period than at the beginning. Previously measured disability, dementia, neurological disease, restrictions in mobility, and female sex were all predictive of disability after 28 months.