Purpose: To elucidate the characteristics of elderly patients registered in the home medical care system.
Method: A 2-year follow-up study was conducted for 23 elderly patients who were under home medical care for a minimum of 1 year.
Result: Eleven of the subjects were men, the mean age of the patients was 83.3 +/- 7.6 years, and 65% of subjects were under home medical care for 3 years at a stretch. The median score for the Barthel Index (BI) of activities of daily living was 40, the median score for the 10 cm visual analogue scale (VAS) was 5.7 cm, 91% of the patients needed a caregiver, the mean age of the primary caregiver was 60.3 +/- 12.0 years, and the mean score on the Burden Index of Caregivers (BIC-11) scale was 14.7.
Conclusion: A follow-up study showed that 65% of patients were under continuous home medical care for 3 years, and the degree of the burden on family and the primary caregiver was moderate.