To determine the factors affecting the quality of home based long-term care (LTC) provision for the adult bedridden patients in Chandigarh, India.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 bedridden patients in Chandigarh. Disability was assessed using the Katz index and an interview schedule based on Craig handicap assessment and reporting technique (CHART) was used to assess the care provision to the bedridden patients. Available medical records and brief medical examination were also conducted on the spot. Quality of care was assessed based on the Donabedian model. Factors associated with the quality of care provision, based on literature, were examined for association in the study cases.

Mean age of the bedridden patients was 69 years. Sixtyeight patients lived in joint families. All had total dependence in the domains of bathing, dressing, toileting and transfer. The commonest cause of disability was neurological diseases. Mean duration of being bedridden was 16.4 months. Though the rates of complications like urinary infections (89%), bedsores (54%) were quite high, 57% patients reported satisfaction with the quality of care they were receiving. However, only 18 males and 6 females subjects were receiving good quality care according to our evaluation. Ownership of property/money by the subject was the only factor found to be associated with good quality of care. Gender of the subject, degree of disability, type of family in which the subject was living in and whether the patient is currently married or not did not seem to significantly affect the quality of care received by the subjects.

Though more than half of the study subjects reported subjective satisfaction with the quality of care being received, objective evaluation based on the study criteria showed that only a quarter were actually receiving good quality care. Furthermore, the economic worth seemed to positively influence the quality of care being received by the subjects.

Singh T, Minhas AS. Factors Affecting Quality of Home Based Long-term Care Provision for the Bedridden Patients in Chandigarh, North India. J Postgrad Med Edu Res 2015;49(3):126-131.