提供社區式家庭支持方案能否減少機構式長期照護服務之使用意願？

The purpose of this retrospective study investigated whether family caregivers of nursing home residents would delay, or perhaps give up, the decision of placing their care recipients in institutions if community-based family supporting programs were available, including Home Health Care, Social Service, Day Care, Respite Care and Financial Support. Study subjects were 270 former primary family caregivers of residents at 126 nursing homes, including these residents' spouses, sons, daughters, daughters-in-law, and other relatives who participated in 'The 1994 Taipei City Nursing Home Survey'. Factors relating to the transition choice recommendations were also explored to provide information for future policy decision. The results showed that if family supporting programs were available, approximately 28.5% former caregivers would choose Home Health Care instead of institutional care for their care recipients. The other preferences included 27.0% to Social Service, 24.8% to Day Care, 21.1% to Respite Care, and 23.3% to Financial Support. The daughters-in-law were 2.9 times more likely than sons to choose to provide Home Health Care. The caregivers with other care competition, lack of secondary caregivers, low time constraint, heavy financial burden, care recipient with no cognitive impairment prior to admission, and having experience in using community care, were also factors associated with the choice of family supporting programs. This implies that the community-based family supporting programs have the potential to replace the institutional care.