THE INFLUENCE OF URINARY-INCONTINENCE ON PUBLICLY FINANCED HOME CARE SERVICES TO LOW-INCOME ELDERLY PEOPLE

Urinary incontinence (UI) has been shown to be prevalent and a risk fa ctor for permanent institutionalization; yet it is not routinely measu red in research of home care utilization. A retrospective cohort desig n is used to directly estimate the effect of UI on the public costs of home care services to elderly individuals. Multivariate analyses cont rolling for other individual, household, and supply characteristics de monstrate that those with UI generate significantly greater public cos ts for home care services. Patterns of service use suggest palliative rather than rehabilitative service, raising questions regarding the ef fective use of resources.