BY COMPARING THE USE OF HEALTH SERVICES BEFORE AND AFTER ADMISSION TO A LONG-TERM-CARE FACILITY

Despite concern over increased health ser-vices utilization with population aging, few studies describe health services utilization by long-term-care (LTC) residents. An investiga-tion was designed to compare health services use before and after LTC admission. Com-prehensive 1988 to 1999 data for all LTC residents (N = 47,510) in Alberta, Canada, were obtained. Utilization comparisons in-volved equal pre/post timeframes. Only non-hospital physician services increased post-LTC admission. Home care was not provided after admission (51 % had been recipients). Hospital and ambulatory services use de-clined, with these patterns stable for 5 years pre- and post-LTC admission. When hospital or ambulatory care was sought by LTC resi-dents, they were not disadvantaged in the type or scope of care as compared to the care re-ceived prior to LTC admission. These findings should raise interest in the services provided by LTC facilities and the outcomes of long-term, facility-based care. LTC services could be beneficial for people with advanced age and dependency