Community-based integrated home care model for the demented patients and their families

The purposes of this research project were to establish an integrated home care model and understand the influence of an integrated home care model on demented elders and their families. The changes in cognitive function and self-care ability of demented elders were also explored longitudinally. The disciplines involved in the integrated home care model included doctors, home care nurses and social workers. The integrated home care model was developed according to the functions and roles of different disciplines in their actual working process. Services provided included home nursing care, telephone consultation and a support group. Home care nurses played the role of case manager in this model. Twenty-five families participated in this study. Among them, 22 received home care service, and 20 of them participated in a caregiver support group. The cognitive function of the demented elders did not significantly decrease over the 6-month period. Among their self-care ability, grooming and eating dependency were found significantly increased during this period. Overall, 81% families reported that home nursing care services could help them to develop care skills, care knowledge and provided emotional support. However, the caregiver burden did not significantly decrease after the home nursing care services. Seventy percent of caregivers reported that telephone consultation could support them emotionally and provided them with information concerning care. Over half of the caregivers reported that in getting related information and receiving emotional support was helpful. This integrated model developed from this research project can be adapted and used in networking home care agencies, the community and health care resources. The small and convenient sample was one of the limitations of this study. The insignificance of some of the findings might be due to the short time period (6 months) and some effects of the model might appear later than 6 months. For further research, larger and random samples and a longer period of follow-up with more health disciplines involved were suggested.