Elders' preferences for care setting in short- and long-term disability scenarios

Abstract

Preference for long-term care (LTC) location among community-dwelling elders was assessed using short- and long-term disability scenarios (N = 537). Using Wilcoxon rank sum tests, we assessed differences in perceptions of financial difficulty, family strain, and personal stress by predisposing, enabling, and need factors. Using logistic regression we determined which factors were predictive of preference for LTC location. Frail and poor elders and those who lived alone had more financial and familial concerns; elders of higher social class anticipated more personal stress; elders with negative attitudes toward LTC facilities, who had fewer financial, familial and personal concerns, and who were married were more likely to prefer home care.