Knowledge of nursing home payment sources among older adults : study performed in a northeastern Ohio county /

Abstract

The study performed contained a pre-test, intervention, posttest design. The sample was made up of a convenience sample of older adults who visited four senior centers in a select northeastern Ohio county. The hypothesis tested was: through the informational sessions and pamphlets provided for the older adults in northeastern, Ohio, the older adult's knowledge of nursing home payment sources will improve. The respondents consisted of 50 older adults who attended the senior centers that the researcher visited. Respondents' ages varied, however, 60.0% of the respondents fell into the middle categories of ages 70-84. Slightly over half of the respondents, 52.0%, had a high school education. Fifty six percent of the respondents had a yearly pretax income below $20,000.00. Due to the low participation rates, the researcher was unable to complete the pre-test, intervention, posttest design. The analysis of data analyzes the results from the pre-test only. The results did yield some interesting conclusions. Respondents expressed low income levels, and only a small number of respondents had purchased long-term care insurance. These statistics could be the explanation for respondents' incorrect estimates of the cost of one month of nursing home care. Also, respondents showed high knowledge levels in regards to the questions discussing Medicaid. Possibly these respondents already rely on the program for assistance with health care costs. When considering the questions regarding Medicare coverage in a nursing home, the results are confusing and difficult to interpret. Recommendations for future research involve offering incentives to participants, and using telephone interviews or in-person interviews to hold their attention.