The effect of home care on the ability to perform the activities of daily living and the well-being of older people

With the considerable changes in population age-profiles, the preventive care of older people is becoming more and more important. We analyse the long-term effect of the provision of home care on the recipient’s ability to perform the activities of daily living (ADLs) and upon aspects of their well-being. Using regression analysis on a set of Danish longitudinal data featuring people aged 67–77 we estimate the effect of home care while controlling for initial health, including initial ADL ability and well-being, along with demographic and socioeconomic conditions. We find no effect of home care on ADL ability in women; results for men, however, indicate a negative association. The provision of home care has an insignificant effect on women’s well-being, but a positive effect for men incapacitated beyond a certain degree. Results indicate a need for supplementary efforts to protect against the disablement process.