Indicators of permanent institutional care.

This study attempts to search for early indicators of the need for referral to permanent institutional care of the chronically ill and disabled already receiving home nursing and/or home help. The study population covered 218 home nursing patients and home help clients. The follow-up period was 26 months. During the follow-up period 26 persons died and 12 were referred to permanent institutional care. Four groups of factors were studied in order to search for the early indicators: age, sex, health including functional status and housing conditions. Referral to permanent institutional care was found to be related to old age (75+ years) disorientation to weekday and year, inability to wash oneself and diagnosed dementia senilis.