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What do clients expect of community care and what are their needs? The Community care for the Elderly: Needs and Service Use Study ( CENSUS )
Author(s) -
Harrison Fleur,
Low LeeFay,
Barnett Anna,
Gresham Meredith,
Brodaty Henry
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
australasian journal on ageing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.63
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1741-6612
pISSN - 1440-6381
DOI - 10.1111/ajag.12118
Subject(s) - recreation , personal care , nursing , care act , service (business) , negotiation , needs assessment , social needs , government (linguistics) , medicine , gerontology , health care , psychology , family medicine , business , marketing , social science , sociology , political science , law , economics , economic growth , linguistics , philosophy
Objective To investigate the relationship between objectively assessed care needs and expectations for care of older people and their carers, before commencement of community care services. Method Cross‐sectional research on 55 community‐dwelling older adults and carers, recruited after receiving approval for government‐subsidised community care services. Care needs and expectations of care were assessed at interview. Results Participants’ and carers’ expectations for their pending community care package did not correspond with unmet participant needs. Instead, expectations corresponded with met needs, that is those for which they already received help, with the exception of expectations of domestic support and personal care. Participants’ unmet needs were predominantly in social and recreational activities, eating, and physical and mental health. Conclusions As community care in A ustralia becomes consumer‐directed by 2015, care services will need to empower clients and carers through education about their needs and available services, as part of the assessment and service negotiation process.