[Effects of technical aids on the utilization of professional care. A study among single 75-year olds]

In this paper we describe the results of a project, in which occupational therapists visited 83 independently living, single, elderly people (clients of organisations providing care) and advised them about technical aids. Subsequently some technical aids were provided. The intervention group received, on average, three out of five advised technical aids. The effect of this intervention was an increase in the use of technical aids (people used, on average, two technical aids more at the end of the project), which means that the provided technical aids were being used. This effect was stronger in the group of the 75-84 old persons than in the above 85 year old ones. This effect led to a change in people's attitudes towards technical aids: at the beginning of the project 80% of the elderly believed technical aids could help them to remain independent and at the end this percentage was 90%. There was a slight, non-significant, decrease in the number of hours home help (from 5,4 to 4,7 hours per week). However, we were unable to ascertain an effect on the percentage of elderly using community care or waiting for institutional care. This may have been due to the heterogeneity of the intervention, the small research population and the relatively short intervention period. Elderly should be assessed as being in need of technical aids at an earlier stage.