Demographic characteristics
Participants’ demographic characteristics are provided in Table 1. Of the 17 participants, about half (n = 9) were female, and a majority was older than 60 years, with an average age of 76 years (range 45 to 94). More than half of the participants had an education level of junior high school or below. Most participants lived in urban communities and with their families—only one participant reported living alone.
Health conditions and impacts of homeboundness
All participants were considered homebound, but their level of homeboundness varied. Among them, 9 were completely confined at home due to severe health conditions and 3 were too scared to leave home because of the risk of falls. The remaining 5 participants could only go out with the assistance of their family members. All participants reported having two or more chronic diseases and taking oral medication. Cardiovascular diseases including hypertension, heart disease, cerebral thrombosis, as well as cerebral infarction were reported by more than half of the participants. Among the cardiovascular diseases, hypertension was mentioned by 11 participants. In addition, 5 participants reported having metabolic diseases (e.g., diabetes or constipation) and 3 participants had kidney diseases (e.g., kidney cancer, stomach pain, or tuberculosis). Participants also reported on disability status. Seven participants were homebound due to physical disabilities, such as partial paralysis, amputations, pressure sores, and broken legs. Every participant took two or more different oral medicines; one 70-year-old participant took as many as ten drugs per day.
Participants described how being homebound affected their own and family caregivers’ lives; selected quotations are listed in Table 2. The lives of participants became monotonous and boring due to the limitations of being confined at home. They had to give up previous work or housework, as a result of their health conditions. In addition, they had to rely on caregivers to look after them (quote 4-6), requiring these caregivers to spend more time and energy on them than before the participants became homebound.
Home health care experience
A number of questions were asked to help the researchers understand homebound adults’ experiences with HHC; sample responses are provided in Table 3. Firstly, participants were asked why they chose to use HHC services. The first major reason was that HHC was more convenient than office-based care. The participants had varied degrees of difficulty in leaving home. Twelve participants lived on upper floors of apartments without an elevator. They reported that seeing a doctor in their office was challenging (quote 7). Medical care provided at home greatly benefited homebound populations. The second reason was that receiving care at home reduced medical expenses incurred by the participants. Thirteen participants mentioned that HHC was introduced to them by doctors in the hospital. Depending on the participant’s health condition, HHC could offer chronic disease management or wound care, to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions (quote 8).
The scope of HHC services varied in different locations. The services in Shanghai usually covered monitoring blood pressure, blood sugar, and heart rate, checking care recipients’ medications, and adjusting their medication dosages based on their health conditions. The home-visit process was typically conducted by both a doctor and a nurse. In addition to these services provided in Shanghai, HHC in Jinan provided Chinese medicine services, such as acupuncture and electrotherapy. Medical care providers and Chinese medicine therapists took turns visiting care recipients’ homes. In Zhangqiu, HHC was provided by specialists from the Burn and Wound Repair Center. Services included wound care and dressing changes for persons with various types of pressure sores and trauma.
Furthermore, we asked participants about their attitudes toward the HHC they had received. Both positive and negative aspects were described. Positive experiences consisted of the following aspects: 1) This delivery method was convenient for homebound older adults. Compared to non-homebound adults, homebound adults faced more challenges in seeing a doctor. For example, they face physical functional limitations and difficulties caused by their built environment, such as apartment buildings without elevators (quote 9). They tended to take longer time to reach a hospital. HHC helped homebound older adults access medical care as well as medications. Doctors told the participants how to take and flexibly adjust oral medicine dosages according to their health conditions. Caregivers could retrieve medicines from the hospital, using a medication list prescribed by their doctor. 2) Health problems could be detected in a more timely manner, because doctors visited participants regularly. HHC providers went to participants’ homes diligently—around two times per month or more frequently, and arrived on time to their scheduled appointments. Consistent HHC helped participants maintain a stable health status (quote 10). 3) Home care providers exhibited better bedside manners and technical skills than did hospital-based providers. The excellent bedside manners of providers were highly praised by almost every participant. The providers served participants seriously and responsibly (quote 11-12). Moreover, rehabilitation therapists had advanced technical skills in administering acupuncture and electrotherapy, which were greatly welcomed by the participants (quote 13). 4) China’s medical insurance, which mainly refers to Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance (UEBMI), usually covered the majority of the cost of approved HHC services. Beneficiaries pre-deposited a certain amount of money into their health insurance account. Then, the medical expenses of approved HHC could be deducted directly from the health insurance account and the care recipients would be reimbursed for a majority of costs by their insurance (quote 14).
Participants also mentioned negative experiences with current HHC services. The most prominent problem was that the scope of existing HHC services was too limited to meet the needs of homebound older adults. The content of services mainly included nursing and rehabilitation or narrow specialist treatment. Certain equipment, such as large devices, could not be carried by providers to care recipients’ homes; thus, more comprehensive physical examinations and procedures could not be performed (quote 15). Some participants asked whether they could receive infusion therapy at home, a service that is not currently possible (quote 16). Another complaint was that the healthcare providers’ visit time was too short (quote 17). Compared to the number of homebound older adults in need, there were too few HHC providers (quote 18). Lastly, participants indicated that healthcare providers’ technical skills varied greatly. Most providers that participants encountered in Jinan did not have specialized training in HHC, and some recipients felt worse after their treatments (quote 19).
Participants suggested increasing publicity surrounding HHC. Homebound participants hoped that the government would pay more attention to the HHC model. If HHC became more prominent, more providers may feel compelled to engage in this method of healthcare delivery. Participants also hoped HHC providers would proactively seek out homebound older adults in need of these services. Secondly, participants hoped that the treatment of care providers would be improved and their salaries would be increased. These changes might attract more providers who are willing to serve homebound older adults at home. Thirdly, participants hoped that the scope of services might expand in the future, and that providers would receive better education and training. Participants also wanted HHC providers to use better equipment that might detect acute health problems more effectively. Lastly, the holistic, continuous nature of HHC was mentioned. Participants hoped that during HHC visits, providers could teach care recipients’ family members about how to care for homebound older adults at home; for example, how to help homebound adults clean themselves or what to eat for a nutritious meal. More comprehensive care would enhance care recipients’ recovery process.