Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of subjects in intervention and control groups. Figures are numbers of subjects unless stated otherwise
| Characteristic | Intervention (n=99) | Control |
|---|---|---|
| (n=100) | ||
| Mean (SD) age (years) | 80.7 (7.1) | 81.3 (7.4) |
| Women | 70 | 71 |
| Marital status: | ||
| Never married | 20 | 13 |
| Married | 26 | 21 |
| Widowed | 52 | 65 |
| Living alone | 50 | 50 |
| Availability of informal care | 68 | 76 |
| Adequate financial status | 81 | 87 |
| Mean (SD) scores on assessment*: | ||
| Activities of daily living (0-6) | 2.0 (2.1) | 2.3 (2.3) |
| Instrumental activities of daily living (0-7) | 3.8 (2.2) | 4.4 (2.2) |
| Short portable mental status questionnaire (0-10) | 2.7 (3.0) | 3.1 (3.3) |
| Geriatric depression scale (0-30) | 10.1 (5.3) | 11.2 (6.5) |
| Mean (SD) No of medical conditions | 4.7 (2.1) | 4.8 (1.7) |
| Mean (SD) No of medications | 4.5 (2.2) | 4.3 (2.2) |
*
For all scores higher number indicates greater impairment.