Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of and the gender
differences in the use of professional home care in Germany.
Methods: We used harmonized data from three large cohort studies from
Germany (“Healthy Aging: Gender-specific trajectories into the latest life”;
AgeDifferent.de Platform). Data were available for 5,393 older individuals
(75 years and older). Mean age was 80.2 years (SD: 4.1 years), 66.6%
were female. Professional homecare outcome variables were use of
outpatient nursing care, paid household assistance, and meals on wheels’
services. Logistic regression models were used, adjusting for important
sociodemographic variables.
Results: Altogether 5.2% of older individuals used outpatient nursing care (6.2%
women and 3.2% men; p < 0.001), 24.2% used paid household assistance
(26.1% women and 20.5% men; p < 0.001) and 4.4% used meals on wheels’
services (4.5% women and 4.0% men; p = 0.49). Regression analysis revealed
that women had higher odds of using paid household assistance than men
(OR = 1.48, 95% CI: [1.24–1.76]; p < 0.001), whereas they had lower odds of
using meals on wheels’ services (OR = 0.64, 95% CI: [0.42–0.97]; p < 0.05). No statistically significant differences in using outpatient nursing care between
women and men were found (OR = 1.26, 95% CI: [0.87–1.81]; p = 0.225).
Further, the use of home care was mainly associated with health-related
variables (e.g., stroke, Parkinson’s disease) and walking impairments.
Conclusions: Our study showed that gender differences exist in using paid
household assistance and in culinary dependency. For example, meals on
wheels’ services are of great importance (e.g., for individuals living alone or
for individuals with low social support). Gender differences were not identified
regarding outpatient nursing care. Use of professional home care servicesmay
contribute to maintaining autonomy and independence in old age.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:DRESDEN/oai:qucosa:de:qucosa:89004 |
| Date | 15 January 2024 |
| Creators | Buczak-Stek, Elzbieta W., Hajek, Andre, Pabst, Alexander, Brettschneider, Christian, van den Bussche, Hendrik, Wiese, Birgitt, Weyerer, Siegfried, Werle, Jochen, Hoell, Andreas, Pentzek, Michael, Fuchs, Angela, Luppa, Melanie, Löbner, Margit, Stein, Janine, Förster, Franziska, Weeg, Dagmar, Mösch, Edelgard, Heser, Kathrin, Scherer, Martin, Maier, Wolfgang, Angermeyer, Matthias C., Wagner, Michael, Riedel-Heller, Steffi G., König, Hans-Helmut |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| Source Sets | Hochschulschriftenserver (HSSS) der SLUB Dresden |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion, doc-type:article, info:eu-repo/semantics/article, doc-type:Text |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| Relation | 924818 |
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