Effect of chronic home care on admission to institutions providing long-term care.

Home care programs are operating throughout Ontario. In October 1975 pilot-test chronic home care (CHC) programs were added in three areas. Whether the Kingston CHC program prevented or delayed admission to an institution providing long-term care was studied in the 218 patients admitted to the program up to mid-March 1976. Forms were completed for all 218 patients admitted, for the 109 still in the program 6 months later, and for the 131 who had left the program by August 1976. Of the 218 patients 20% had applied for admission to an institution providing long-term care before applying for CHC, and another 22% had seriously considered applying to such an institution. The CHC staff judged that 61% would have needed institutional care without CHC. Only 12% of the 218 patients left the CHC program to enter an institution, only 1 of the 48 patients discharged to self-care at home was considering a move to an institution, and only 2 receiving CHC for 6 months applied to an institution during that time. CHC therefore seems to delay greatly admission to an institution providing long-term care for a substantial group of patients.