Table 3.
Primary Caregiver Characteristics and Hazard of Subsequent ED Utilization Among Care Recipients (n = 2521).a
| Model 1: Adjusting for Survey Wave
Only |
Model 2: Adjusting for Survey Wave,
Sociodemographic Characteristics, Health Statusb |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All-Cause ED Utilization |
All-Cause ED Utilization |
|||
| HR | 95% CI | HR | 95% CI | |
| Caregiver age (years) | ||||
| 14-44 | Reference | Reference | ||
| 45-64 | 0.91 | .69, 1.21 | 0.86 | 0.65, 1.13 |
| 65+ | 0.89 | .69, 1.16 | 0.90 | 0.70, 1.17 |
| Female gender | .93 | .79, 1.11 | 0.85 | 0.72, 1.00 |
| Relationship to care recipient | ||||
| Spouse | Reference | Reference | ||
| Nonspouse | 1.16 | 0.97, 1.38 | 1.09 | 0.87, 1.37 |
| Resides apart from care recipient | 1.04 | 0.88, 1.23 | 1.00 | 0.85, 1.17 |
| Caregiving for 4+ years | 0.91 | 0.79, 1.04 | 0.97 | 0.84, 1.12 |
| Self-reported health | ||||
| Excellent/Very good | Reference | Reference | ||
| Good | 0.99 | 0.84, 1.18 | 0.98 | 0.83, 1.15 |
| Fair/Poor | 1.05 | 0.86, 1.29 | .85 | 0.85, 1.26 |
| Employed for pay | 1.04 | 0.87, 1.24 | 1.06 | 0.89, 1.28 |
| Hours of care provided per week | ||||
| 0-20 | Reference | Reference | ||
| 20-40 | 1.06 | 0.88, 1.27 | 1.01 | 0.84, 1.21 |
| >40 | 1.39 | 1.20, 1.62 | 1.22 | 1.04, 1.43 |
| Help providedc | ||||
| Household tasks | 1.20 | 0.98, 1.48 | 1.23 | 0.92, 1.38 |
| Self-care | 1.24 | 1.05, 1.47 | 1.16 | 0.97, 1.40 |
| Mobility | 1.20 | 1.00, 1.44 | 1.11 | 0.91, 1.35 |
| Health care tasks | 1.34 | 1.16, 1.55 | 1.26 | 1.08, 1.46 |
| Supportive services | ||||
| Support group use | 0.84 | 0.59, 1.19 | 0.86 | 0.61, 1.22 |
| Respite care use | 1.17 | 0.93, 1.47 | 1.08 | 0.86, 1.36 |
| Financial strain | ||||
| None | Reference | Reference | ||
| Some/A lot | 1.15 | 1.00, 1.34 | 1.05 | 0.89, 1.23 |
| Emotional strain | ||||
| None | Reference | Reference | ||
| Some/A lot | 1.15 | 0.99,1.34 | 1.08 | 0.93, 1.27 |
| Physical strain | ||||
| None | Reference | Reference | ||
| Some/A lot | 1.24 | 1.08, 1.42 | 1.18 | 1.03, 1.36 |
Abbreviations: ED, emergency department; HR, hazard ratio.
a
All models include sampling weights and design variables to adjust for nonprobability sampling in the NLTCS and NHATS surveys.
b
Sociodemographic characteristics include age, sex, race, and educational attainment. Health status factors include number of chronic conditions, self-reported health status, and prior year hospitalization.
c
Mobility tasks include moving around inside the house or transferring in/out of bed, self-care tasks include bathing, dressing, toileting, or eating, and health care tasks include assisting with medication management and/or wound care.