Table 4. Weighted Distribution of Type of Allowed Visits During an Episode, by Medicare Home Health Care Client Characteristics.
| Characteristic | Totals | Percent | Skilled Nursing | Home Health Aide | Physical Therapy | Occupational Therapy | Speech Therapy | Medical Social Work | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| |||||||||
| Mean Visits | |||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
| Total Clients | 22.71 | 100.0 | 12.62 | 5.79 | 3.25 | 0.52 | 0.24 | 0.28 | 0.02 |
| Sex | |||||||||
| Male | 21.53 | 37.4 | 11.81 | 5.48 | 2.88 | 0.67 | 0.39 | 0.28 | 0.01 |
| Female | 23.42 | 62.6 | 13.10 | 5.98 | 3.46 | 0.43 | 0.14 | 0.29 | 0.03 |
| Age | |||||||||
| Under 65 years | 16.49 | 5.7 | 10.33 | 2.44 | 2.63 | 0.63 | 0.11 | 0.31 | 0.04 |
| 65-74 years | 23.85 | 33.6 | 13.35 | 5.60 | 3.50 | 0.63 | 0.43 | 0.32 | 0.03 |
| 75-84 years | 21.96 | 38.8 | 12.02 | 5.80 | 3.12 | 0.57 | 0.18 | 0.25 | 0.02 |
| 85 years or over | 23.93 | 21.9 | 13.14 | 6.95 | 3.25 | 0.22 | 0.08 | 0.29 | 0.01 |
| Living Arrangement | |||||||||
| Alone | 20.50 | 18.6 | 12.68 | 4.82 | 2.38 | 0.25 | 0.05 | 0.29 | 0.04 |
| Spouse Only | 24.15 | 23.1 | 12.23 | 6.81 | 3.45 | 0.63 | 0.61 | 0.42 | 0.01 |
| Other | 22.89 | 13.0 | 12.40 | 5.75 | 3.62 | 0.56 | 0.24 | 0.31 | 0.01 |
| Unknown | 22.83 | 45.3 | 12.85 | 5.68 | 3.39 | 0.56 | 0.12 | 0.21 | 0.02 |
| Admission Source | |||||||||
| Community | 23.48 | 19.6 | 13.61 | 5.84 | 2.85 | 0.67 | 0.19 | 0.28 | 0.04 |
| Hospital, Surgical | 21.36 | 32.0 | 11.82 | 4.67 | 4.06 | 0.37 | 0.14 | 0.28 | 0.02 |
| Hospital, Medical | 22.66 | 44.0 | 12.74 | 6.37 | 2.41 | 0.51 | 0.32 | 0.29 | 0.01 |
| Nursing Home | 34.29 | 3.4 | 13.96 | 9.60 | 8.74 | 1.18 | 0.35 | 0.36 | 0.10 |
| Unknown | 14.61 | 1.0 | 8.77 | 2.26 | 3.35 | 0.17 | 0.00 | 0.06 | 0.00 |
| Mobility Restrictions | |||||||||
| None | 31.30 | 3.6 | 23.83 | 3.54 | 3.41 | 0.11 | 0.08 | 0.33 | 0.00 |
| Cane, Crutch, Walker | 24.48 | 79.1 | 11.54 | 6.82 | 5.02 | 0.67 | 0.18 | 0.25 | 0.01 |
| Wheelchair | 37.72 | 11.7 | 16.34 | 12.63 | 5.99 | 1.48 | 0.73 | 0.55 | 0.01 |
| Bedfast | 21.82 | 5.6 | 12.33 | 8.40 | 0.68 | 0.05 | 0.00 | 0.37 | 0.00 |
| Medications | |||||||||
| None | 13.15 | 5.2 | 5.86 | 1.84 | 4.75 | 0.49 | 0.07 | 0.14 | 0.00 |
| 1-3 | 20.68 | 30.1 | 11.57 | 4.42 | 3.72 | 0.43 | 0.26 | 0.24 | 0.03 |
| 4-6 | 23.69 | 40.1 | 13.39 | 6.41 | 2.85 | 0.50 | 0.23 | 0.29 | 0.02 |
| 7 or more | 25.61 | 24.6 | 14.05 | 7.29 | 2.99 | 0.65 | 0.27 | 0.35 | 0.01 |
| Nutritional Status | |||||||||
| No Special Diet | 20.54 | 46.4 | 10.86 | 5.26 | 3.59 | 0.39 | 0.14 | 0.26 | 0.03 |
| Low Sodium | 24.31 | 28.1 | 13.79 | 6.85 | 2.75 | 0.50 | 0.15 | 0.26 | 0.01 |
| Special Diet | 24.92 | 25.5 | 14.52 | 5.59 | 3.16 | 0.76 | 0.51 | 0.36 | 0.01 |
| Functional Limitations1 | |||||||||
| Endurance | 22.08 | 85.0 | 12.22 | 5.70 | 3.09 | 0.53 | 0.22 | 0.30 | 0.02 |
| Ambulation | 23.46 | 80.6 | 12.41 | 6.24 | 3.76 | 0.57 | 0.17 | 0.30 | 0.01 |
| Vision | 25.26 | 27.4 | 14.63 | 6.90 | 2.72 | 0.47 | 0.25 | 0.30 | 0.00 |
| Respiration | 21.31 | 26.7 | 13.23 | 5.58 | 1.66 | 0.40 | 0.10 | 0.33 | 0.01 |
| Hearing | 20.74 | 19.8 | 12.38 | 4.93 | 2.54 | 0.37 | 0.18 | 0.34 | 0.00 |
| Mental | 22.43 | 18.3 | 12.49 | 5.92 | 2.51 | 0.50 | 0.55 | 0.40 | 0.06 |
| Bowel or Bladder | 29.68 | 16.5 | 14.04 | 10.18 | 3.61 | 0.87 | 0.56 | 0.41 | 0.01 |
| Speech | 29.41 | 7.5 | 13.08 | 6.67 | 4.75 | 1.78 | 2.74 | 0.38 | 0.01 |
| Paralysis | 39.28 | 5.9 | 13.92 | 12.22 | 8.01 | 2.72 | 1.61 | 0.78 | 0.01 |
| Contracture | 26.18 | 3.3 | 11.60 | 8.45 | 4.77 | 0.65 | 0.25 | 0.45 | 0.00 |
| Amputation | 27.67 | 2.8 | 14.54 | 5.95 | 6.54 | 0.17 | 0.00 | 0.47 | 0.00 |
| Number of Limitations | |||||||||
| None | 34.11 | 1.3 | 24.68 | 7.65 | 1.36 | 0.27 | 0.00 | 0.15 | 0.00 |
| 1 | 15.03 | 9.9 | 9.20 | 2.36 | 3.09 | 0.20 | 0.02 | 0.11 | 0.05 |
| 2 | 22.80 | 31.3 | 12.90 | 5.38 | 3.55 | 0.50 | 0.22 | 0.19 | 0.05 |
| 3 | 21.36 | 28.7 | 12.10 | 5.39 | 2.89 | 0.50 | 0.14 | 0.36 | 0.00 |
| 4 | 25.22 | 16.3 | 13.30 | 7.70 | 3.37 | 0.31 | 0.13 | 0.40 | 0.01 |
| 5 | 28.01 | 7.7 | 13.67 | 8.35 | 3.92 | 1.12 | 0.61 | 0.35 | 0.00 |
| 6 or more | 25.84 | 4.9 | 13.56 | 6.79 | 2.70 | 1.14 | 1.19 | 0.48 | 0.00 |
| Principal Diagnosis2 | |||||||||
| Malignant Neoplasms | 24.26 | 11.5 | 15.86 | 6.93 | 0.79 | 0.07 | 0.09 | 0.52 | 0.00 |
| Heart Disease-Other | 24.09 | 8.3 | 13.93 | 8.00 | 1.56 | 0.22 | 0.06 | 0.33 | 0.00 |
| Cerebrovascular Disease | 32.97 | 7.8 | 11.74 | 7.86 | 7.61 | 2.96 | 2.41 | 0.38 | 0.00 |
| Digestive System Disease | 16.17 | 6.2 | 12.64 | 2.58 | 0.84 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.11 | 0.00 |
| Arthropathies | 16.09 | 5.3 | 3.64 | 3.32 | 8.57 | 0.36 | 0.00 | 0.19 | 0.00 |
| Ischemic Heart Disease | 17.32 | 5.2 | 10.99 | 5.18 | 0.82 | 0.02 | 0.04 | 0.21 | 0.06 |
| Diabetes Mellitus | 25.74 | 5.0 | 18.56 | 4.24 | 1.78 | 0.94 | 0.00 | 0.22 | 0.00 |
| Chronic Obstructive Coronary Disease | 17.74 | 4.2 | 10.61 | 5.24 | 1.19 | 0.16 | 0.09 | 0.47 | 0.00 |
| Circulatory System Disease | 24.86 | 4.1 | 18.71 | 3.77 | 2.21 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.15 | 0.00 |
| Bone Fractures | 20.54 | 3.8 | 5.17 | 4.82 | 9.43 | 0.78 | 0.06 | 0.19 | 0.09 |
| Hip Fractures | 30.24 | 3.7 | 8.56 | 7.63 | 12.83 | 0.76 | 0.16 | 0.24 | 0.05 |
| CNS Disease | 21.96 | 3.3 | 9.16 | 6.20 | 4.04 | 1.52 | 0.40 | 0.63 | 0.02 |
| Hypertension | 19.60 | 2.7 | 11.18 | 7.26 | 0.90 | 0.00 | 0.03 | 0.19 | 0.03 |
| Genitourinary System Disease | 20.78 | 2.7 | 12.22 | 6.69 | 1.67 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.20 | 0.00 |
| Injuries or Poisoning | 19.70 | 2.6 | 13.21 | 4.05 | 2.10 | 0.16 | 0.00 | 0.18 | 0.00 |
| Chronic Skin Ulcer | 18.57 | 2.4 | 13.18 | 3.36 | 1.91 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.10 | 0.00 |
1
Each client could have each limitation either present or not.
2
Eighty-eight records had a missing or invalid primary diagnosis; percents are based on those with a primary diagnosis.
NOTE: Unweighted n = 2,873. CNS is central nervous system.
SOURCES: Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), Bureau of Data Management and Strategy: Data extracted from HCFA Forms-485 and 486 and Medicare utilization data from the Home Health Agency 40-percent Bill Skeleton files for a sample of clients beginning an episode of home health care in 1986.