Résumé :
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[BDSP. Notice produite par INIST-CNRS AT9mqR0x. Diffusion soumise à autorisation]. It has been observed worldwide that statistical data regarding residential lengths of nursing home stay are diverse. An exact calculation and the influence of determinants are lacking. In Belgium, the elderly in a nursing home can move between different levels of care without leaving the facility. The Belgian Katzscale distinguishes four categories of disability : category O=independent and A=little dependent ; B residents are moderate and C residents extremely dependent in numerous Activities of Daily Living (ADL). Using a mortality cohort, we retrospectively analysed the length of stay of residents category B/C, by use of two surveys in Flanders, carried out in 1998,81 subjects (55 women, 26 men) in 7 facilities, with broader re-testing in 2000,286 subjects (209 women, 77 men) in 7 other facilities. Excluding the period as O or A resident, an average length of stay of 22 months (SD 24.5) was recorded in 1998 and 18 months (SD 23.8) in 2000. Of the four determinants examined (age, gender, level of disability and pathology type), only type of pathology proved to exert the greatest influence. Those with dementia resided an average of 10.8 months longer than those with a somatic pathology. Women and category B residents also have a markedly longer stay, 7.8 and 7.4 months respectively. On the other hand, the older an elderly person is upon admission, the shorter (21 days for each year) his residency. No significant difference in length of stay was found between those admitted as healthy (category O or A) and those as extremely dependent (category C). Conclusion : nursing home length of stay is mainly influenced by the type of pathology and to a lesser extent dependent on gender, level of disability and age ; but is even more indirectly dependent on the evaluation and admission behaviour of the facility and, in particular, on social demand. Lengths of stay do not allow us to make any pronouncements about the quality of care.
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