The Gerontologist, Vol 39, Issue 4 397-404, Copyright © 1999 by The Gerontological Society of America
Determinants of frail elders' lengths of stay in meals on wheels
NG Choi
School of Social Work, State University of New York at Buffalo 14260- 1050, USA. [email protected]
Home-delivered meal programs such as Meals on Wheels are low-cost long-
term care services that have potential for contributing to the delay of
costly institutionalization and to the maintenance of self-sufficiency and
quality of life among community-dwelling frail elders. In this study,
reasons for elders' termination from a Meals on Wheels program and
determinants of their lengths of stay in the program are analyzed. The
findings show that the reasons for elders' termination are largely
associated with their deteriorating health. But it was also found that a
significantly higher proportion of African American elders than White
elders discontinued their participation due to their dissatisfaction with
the meals offered or their poor appetite. The Cox proportional hazard
regression analysis also confirmed that elders' health status, race, and
appetite are significantly associated with the hazard of elders'
termination. Strategies to improve the acceptability of the services are
discussed.
