Förebyggande och uppsökande verksamhet: Osby kommun

Aim: The aim with this report is to explore differences between home living men and women, younger (79 years or younger) and older elderly (80 years or older) that got a preventive home visit.

Methods: In the fall 2007 one municipality started up with preventive home visits. Elderly persons are visited by district nurses to register and discuss the elderly persons perceived health, medications, living circumstances and social activities. At the same time a checklist is used to access preventive measures taken with respect to fall risk. From year 2010 also a form is used to assess the risk for malnutrition.

Results: In total 1203 preventive home visits has been made to older persons with a mean age of 81.7 years, 56% women, and 44% men. In comparisons between men and women it was found that men were more dependent in washing, cooking and cleaning. Women perceived their state of health as worse, they had more problems with vision and more pain than men. Women were more physically active than men. More men hade problems hearing. Women were less satisfied with their situation, more tired, more often dejected, felt more worries/anxiety, and had poorer sleep. But, women had more contact with others (by visits/by phone) than men had. Women had more difficulties with mobility-tiredness and more had risk for falling (46.5%, men 39.8%). More women had also made adjustments in their homes to prevent falls. In total 218 persons had been assessed regarding the risk for malnutrition and significantly more women were at risk (82.8% versus men 58.4%). More needs were also identified during the preventive home visits for the women than for the men. In comparison between the younger and the older persons there were more needs for help i daily activities, poorer health, more vision- and hearing problems, less satisfaction with their circumstances, and more tiredness among the older persons. But, the oldest persons had better sleep and more visits from others (or that people called them). It was less persons in the older group that had a permanent contact with a doctor, more used medications and more had problems with mobility-tiredness, and more had fall risk (34.7% among the youngest and 51.0% in the oldest age group). Accordingly more preventive actions had been taken among the oldest persons to prevent falling. More needs were also identified during the preventive home visits for the oldest age group than for the youngest. Out of the 218 persons (all of whom were 79 years or younger) that had been assessed regarding the risk for malnutrition it was 70.5% that had such a risk. In total more persons wanted to, if the need arise, to get continued care and service in their own home. 

Conclusion: In general women and the oldest (80 years or over) had more physical and psychological health problems than men and the youngest (79 years or under). Thus, women and the oldest are special risk groups. It was also in these groups most needs were identified during the preventive home visits. Risk for malnutrition seems to be an extensive problem among the home living elderly, this needs special attention during the preventive home visits.