MAIN OBJECTIVE: to elaborate a Persons at Risk Index (PRI) for the abandonment of elderly handicapped. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: to discover the profile of these invalids and their carers within our Health District. DESIGN: A case-control study. A uni- and multi-variant analysis (multiple logistic regression). SETTING: An urban Health Centre. Programme for the Care of the handicapped Patient. PATIENTS AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS: 1. Handicapped patients (those unable to attend the Health Centre for care) who were included in the Programme in December 1991 (Total = 177). 2. Carers (those with direct responsibility in caring for the sick). 106 handicapped patients were interviewed (33 took part in the pilot study, 13 died, 1 entered hospital, 16 refused to answer and 8 were not located). 20 patients (19%) were identified as being abandoned invalids, with abandon being defined as not having their need for help in their daily activities covered. The other 86 (81%) were considered as controls. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Profile of the handicapped patient: woman > 76 years old, illiterate, housewife, widow. Profile of career: woman, daughter or wife of the invalid, between 50 and 65, house-wife, uneducated. The variables selected by the multiple model as being linked to abandonment show greater risk for invalid patients living in zones of high social risk, who lack a specific career or have only been looked after by their present career for a brief period. CONCLUSIONS: The PRI is an instrument which serves for predicting those invalids most likely to be abandoned, an undesirable situation to be avoided by prioritizing health service interventions.
MAIN OBJECTIVE: to elaborate a Persons at Risk Index (PRI) for the abandonment of elderly handicapped. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: to discover the profile of these invalids and their carers within our Health District. DESIGN: A case-control study. A uni- and multi-variant analysis (multiple logistic regression). SETTING: An urban Health Centre. Programme for the Care of the handicapped Patient. PATIENTS AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS: 1. Handicapped patients (those unable to attend the Health Centre for care) who were included in the Programme in December 1991 (Total = 177). 2. Carers (those with direct responsibility in caring for the sick). 106 handicapped patients were interviewed (33 took part in the pilot study, 13 died, 1 entered hospital, 16 refused to answer and 8 were not located). 20 patients (19%) were identified as being abandoned invalids, with abandon being defined as not having their need for help in their daily activities covered. The other 86 (81%) were considered as controls. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Profile of the handicapped patient: woman > 76 years old, illiterate, housewife, widow. Profile of career: woman, daughter or wife of the invalid, between 50 and 65, house-wife, uneducated. The variables selected by the multiple model as being linked to abandonment show greater risk for invalid patients living in zones of high social risk, who lack a specific career or have only been looked after by their present career for a brief period. CONCLUSIONS: The PRI is an instrument which serves for predicting those invalids most likely to be abandoned, an undesirable situation to be avoided by prioritizing health service interventions.