The Survey of the Rate of Health and Social Issues in Clients of Agencies of Home Health Care

Overview

The strenghtening of the integration of home and social care is an expected trend in the field of home health carein the perspective of following years.The survey undertaken by a physician reviewer in one hundred clients treatedby nurses from agencies of home health care in the period of 2002-2003 was oriented to follow up of the rate ofhealth and social issues. The direct contact with clients revealed the shortcomings in the management ofeducation and providing the health care. The social issues related to self-sufficiency and dependency in old agewere followed up aiming at gaining the overview of the rate of persons at risk according to age and their shareon health and social care. The former hypothesis of the survey was confirmed. In 51 % cases, the social issuessignificantly dominated over the health care and at the same time influenced its consumption including payments.The results of the survey were also compared to the published conclusions and presentations of foreign authorsand to the experience of university based institutions dealing with the training and research in this field in theCR.There were no significant differences in acomplex evaluation of the health state, needs and problems in clientsof the home health care. The results nad conclusions of sociological methods of interviews and questionnairesused in the survey were sufficiently and effectively applied in the practice of physician reviewer of the home healthcare. The survey confirmed that the activities of nurses of the home health care is an important service both fromthe psychological and economical point of view. Especially as concerns the old handicapped persons, becausethe home health care delays the necessity of the institution care and thus the handicapped person may stay inhis/her home environment and the quality of his/her life is improving significantly in the period of the care providedby the other person. The presented issue may be considered exceptional in the framework of the field of reviewmedicine and the context of understanding the reviewing activities in practice according to the current legislationwith the suggestion to complete the audit of the care with increased attention paied to the follow up of the rateof social issues and effectiveness of providing financial resources.

Key words:
health and social care – survey – use of sociological methods in the practice of physician reviewer –health and social issues – gerontological risk factors – self-sufficiency – dependency