The influence of social environmental factors on rehospitalization among patients receiving home health care services

• Published in: Advances in nursing science Vol. 35; no. 4; p. 346
• Main Authors: Tao, Hong, Ellenbecker, Carol Hall, Chen, Jie, Zhan, Lin, Dalton, Joanne
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.10.2012
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Caregivers - organization & administration; Female; Home Care Services - organization & administration; Home Care Services - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Linear Models; Male; Massachusetts; Medicare - statistics & numerical data; Nursing Theory; Patient Readmission; Residence Characteristics - statistics & numerical data; Self Care - standards; United States; United States; Massachusetts
• ISSN: 1550-5014
• DOI: 10.1097/ANS.0b013e318271d2ad

Guided by Orem's theory, this study examined the influence of social environmental factors on rehospitalization among home health care patients. Living arrangement, frequency of caregiving, and type of primary informal care were found to be related to functional ability. Measurable differences in clinical status and functional ability were related to the duration that patients received home health care services until rehospitalization, with the likelihood of rehospitalization increasing proportionately to the magnitude of the differences. Social environmental factors contributed to rehospitalization (self-care deficit) through functional ability (self-care agency) by altering the balance between self-care demand (clinical status) and self-care agency.