A case of community-based fall prevention: Survey of organization and content of minor home
help services in Swedish municipalities
Engelsk titel: A case of community-based fall prevention: Survey of organization and content of minor home
help services in Swedish municipalities
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Författare:
Bernfort, Lars
;
Eckard, Nathalie
;
Husberg, Magnus
;
Alwin, Jenny
Email: lars.bernfort@liu.se
Språk: Eng
Antal referenser: 17
Dokumenttyp:
Artikel
UI-nummer: 15069432
Sammanfattning
Background: The aim of this study was to survey minor home help services provided by
Swedish municipalities with the main purpose to prevent fall injuries. Methods: If minor home help
services were presented on the homepage of a municipality, an initial telephone contact was taken.
Thereafter a questionnaire was administered, including questions about target groups, aim with the
services, tasks included, costs and restrictions for users, budget, and experienced gains with the
services. Municipalities not providing minor home help services were asked about the reason
therefore and if the municipality had previously provided the services Results: The questionnaire
response rate was 92%. In 191 of Sweden’s 290 municipalities services were provided by, or in
cooperation with, the municipality. Reasons for not providing the services were mainly financial and
lack of demand. Services were more often provided in larger cities and in municipalities located in
populous regions. In some municipalities services were performed by persons with functional
disabilities or unemployed persons. Conclusions: Both providers and users expressed satisfaction
with the services. Aspects expressed were that services lead to greater sense of safety and social
gains. The effect of the services in terms of fall prevention is yet to be proved. With only a small
fall-preventive effect services are probably cost-effective. Improved quality of life, sense of safety,
and being able to offer meaningful work to otherwise unemployed persons are important aspects that
might in themselves motivate the provision of minor home help services.