Home care beats nursing home care for ADL maintenance, study finds

Older adults being cared for at home rather than a nursing home experienced “significantly less” deterioration in their ability to perform activities of daily living, or ADLs, after one year, a new study finds.

Researchers from Korea, publishing their findings in the February issue of the Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine, point out that their country introduced universal long-term care insurance for physically dependent seniors in 2008. Older adults can choose to receive care at home or in a nursing home.

Using 2008-2010 data from the National Health Insurance Service in Korea, the investigators conducted a retrospective, one-year cohort study of a sample of more than 22,000 adults who consistently received care in either setting. They arrived at their results via multiple regression analysis, propensity-score matching and paired t-test analysis. The study authors hope their findings will help seniors, their families and policymakers.

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