노인인구의 간호요양원(Nursing Home) 필요예측에 관한 연구

Estimation of nursing home needs in elderly people

The purpose of this study is to estimate the population requiring nursing home services among elderly people in Korea. This study identifies the need of nursing home services determined by health care professionals and estimates the proportion of elderly people requiring nursing home service according to the admission criteria. Surveys were conducted on health care professionals including medical doctors, home care nurses, and nurse practitioners. They were asked to assess nursing home need based on four content areas: Physical function (Activities of Daily Living), chronic disease, Physical symptoms (incontinence), mobility, eating, and sensory function. Based on the professionally determined need criteria the proportion of elderly people requiring nursing home services was estimated using secondary data from the 1994 Survey on the Living Status of the Korean Elderly. The number of study subjects to estimate nursing home need who were 60 and older totaled 2,058. The most important factor contributing to the admission eligibility criteria was the elderly living alone. Other factors related were the elderly being unable or having difficulty carrying out activities, and having insufficient help from other our activities, and having insufficient help from other members of the household. Using only physical function, the proportion of elderly people requiring nursing home was $8{\sim}9%$. When only chronic disease was used, proportions varied widely; for the doctor's group, the proportion was over 30%. Using all areas, the proportions of elderly people requiring nursing home were between 13% and 38%. The estimate using chronic disease and physical function was similar to the on using all areas.