Can your house keep you out of a nursing home?

Authors :: Diepstraten M
Douven R
Wouterse B
Source :: Health economics [Health Econ] 2020 May; Vol. 29 (5), pp. 540-553. Date of Electronic Publication: 2020 Jan 31.
Publication Year :: 2020
Abstract: We examine the impact of the accessibility of an older individual's house on her use of nursing home care. We link administrative data on the accessibility of all houses in the Netherlands to data on long-term care use of all older persons from 2011 to 2014. We find that older people living in more accessible houses are less likely to use nursing home care. The effects increase with age and are largest for individuals aged 90 or older. The effects are stronger for people with physical limitations than for persons with cognitive problems. We also provide suggestive evidence that older people living in more accessible houses substitute nursing home care by home care.<br /> (© 2020 The Authors. Health Economics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)