[On the threshold of needing long-term care-Comparison of older people with and without a care level recommendation in Bavaria].

Abstract

Background: People who have not received a care level ("Pflegegrad", PG) in care assessments in accordance with § 14 Social Code (SGB) XI have hardly been addressed by research to date, even though information on this group has enormous preventative potential. This article aims to compare older people with and without PG recommendations in terms of sociodemographic characteristics, independence in various areas of life as well as medical diagnoses.

Methods: The analysis is based on n = 122,478 initial care assessments of adults over the age of 50 years, which were carried out by the Bavarian Medical Service (MD) in 2019. Descriptive analyses are used to compare people with and without PG recommendations.

Results: Of those assessed, 19.5% were not given a PG recommendation. These people are younger, more often female and living alone than people with PG recommendation. Overall, those assessed without PG recommendation are less restricted in their independence than those with a PG recommendation. Nevertheless, they also have significant limitations in activities relevant to everyday life (especially in mobility outside the home, shopping, cleaning the home). In both groups, a limitation of gait and mobility is the most common diagnosis that leads to an application for a care assessment.

Conclusion: Routine data from long-term care assessments provide information about older people who are on the threshold of needing long-term care. People without PG recommendation who nevertheless require support therefore represent an important target group for support measures and should be addressed by preventive and health-promoting interventions.