Aging
Conditions
Keywords
randomized controlled trial, public health, Preventive Health Services
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to determine whether preventive home visits for people aged 80 and over are effective in the prevention of nursing home admission in Germany.
Detailed description
Regarding demographic changes in Germany it can be assumed that the number of elderly and the resulting need for long term care is increasing in the near future. It is not only an individual's interest but also of public concern to avoid a nursing home admission. Current evidence indicates that preventive home visits can be an effective way to reduce the admission rate in this way making it possible for elderly people to stay longer at home than without home visits. As the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of preventive home visits strongly depends on existing services in the social and health system existing international results cannot be merely transferred to Germany. Therefore it is necessary to investigate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of such an intervention by a randomized controlled trial in Germany.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALpreventive home visit
A multidimensional geriatric assessment within the dimensions: cognition, health related functioning, risk of falling, nutritional status, social situation, economic situation, mood. Two more home visits: (1) home counseling visit 2-3 weeks after assessment (2) booster session 1 month after home counseling visit
Sponsors
German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
80 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* older than 80 * fluent German speaker * resident of Leipzig or Halle * living at home (i.e. no nursing home resident)
Exclusion criteria
* cognitive impairment * not able to give informed consent * care level higher than 1 according to German long term care insurance
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| nursing home admission rate | 18 months |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| health care service utilization and costs | 18 months |
| incremental cost-effectiveness and cost- utility ratio | 18 months |
| health related functioning | 18 months |
| health related quality of life | 18 months |
| prevalence of falls | 18 months |
| time to nursing home admission | 18 months |
Countries
Germany
Outcome results
None listed