Evaluation of the delivery of long-term at-home nursing care: An example of good practice.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the influence of long-term at-home nursing care (LTHNC) on patient functional status. The specific aims were as follows: (1) to analyse the influence of LTHNC on patient functional status in terms of activities of daily living; (2) to evaluate the risk of pressure sores and pressure sore prevention in patients receiving LTHNC.

BACKGROUND: LTHNC is a form of care for chronically ill persons staying at home who do not need hospitalisation, but due to their health problems they require regular nursing care that can be provided at home.

DESIGN: A retrospective descriptive study.

METHODS: A document research method was used. We collected data from the medical records of 1,058 patients receiving LTHNC at the Non-Public Health Care Centre OMNI-MED in Bialystok (Poland) for the years 2005-2012.

RESULTS: Detailed analysis of scores on the Barthel Activities of Daily Living Index revealed significant improvement in patient functional status as a result of LTHNC. In patients aged 65-80, the Barthel score increased by 8.83 points, and in patients aged 64 years and younger, the score increased by 6.58 points (p < 0.001). In the oldest patients (>80 years), functional status improved the least, gaining a mean of 4.97 points on the Barthel scale. Overall, the demonstrated improvement of patient functional status and reduced risk of pressure sore development provide evidence that LTHNC is an effective form of care for elderly and chronically ill persons staying at home.

CONCLUSION: The findings of our study represent a positive example of the way good nursing care can benefit patients while promoting the autonomous nature of nursing.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The results add to our understanding of the functioning of LTHNC by providing relevant scientific evidence which may contribute to the development of community nursing.