Improving Quality of Life for Older People in Long-Stay Care ...

6.3 Dependency116Dependency levels were assessed on a four-point scale from low dependency, throughmedium and high to maximum dependency. 10 In addition, levels of confusion, mobilityand reliance on personal care, all of which contribute to levels of dependence, wererecorded for each long-stay facility. Just under 40 per cent of all residents are in themaximum dependency category which means they require a high degree of nursingcare and assistance (Figure 6.4). District/community hospitals and public geriatrichomes/hospitals contain the highest proportion of maximum dependency residents.About two thirds of all residents in private nursing homes are either high or maximumdependency compared to 80 per cent in the same categories in public geriatrichomes/hospitals. Welfare homes contain the highest number of low dependencyresidents, although over 50 per cent of residents are either high or maximumdependency despite a policy of admitting residents within the low to mediumcategories only. Clearly, either admissions policy to welfare homes has changedor residents have become more dependent over time, which is more likely.Differences in levels of dependency between facilities were tested statisticallyusing non-parametric analysis (Kruskall-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests). Resultsshow that public geriatric hospitals/homes have significantly greater numbersof residents assessed as being in the high and maximum dependency categoriesthan any of the other facilities. Welfare homes have significantly higher numbersof low dependency residents compared to other types of facilities.Figure 6.4: Percentage of long-stay residents within dependency categoryby facility typeWelfare homes(n = 14)District/Community hospitals(n = 28)Voluntary homes/hospitals(n = 34)Public homes/hospitals(n = 37)Private nursing homes(n = 200)All facilities(n = 313)0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%Low Medium High Maximum10 The DoHC four dependency levels were used as this data was already complied by facilitiesfor the annual report of long-stay statistics.Improving Quality of Life for Older People in Long-Stay Care Settings in Ireland