Restorative Home Care Services

Gill Lewin, BSc Hons Psych, MSc Clin Psych, MPH, PhD, FAAG, Professor, Centre for Research on Ageing, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University of Technology; Research Director, Silver Chain, Perth, Western Australia.

Abstract
Restorative home care services are being developed around the world. While having somewhat different origins and structures, these services share a capacity building paradigm and are designed to assist older people to maximize their functioning and reduce their need for ongoing assistance to complete everyday tasks. The evidence for the effectiveness of these services is positive though limited. In comparison to usual home care, they have been shown to increase individuals' functional abilities, their self-rated health, and their confidence and well-being, and to decrease individuals' need for ongoing care. More research is needed to address a range of unanswered questions about these services.
Keywords: home care, restorative, older adults, functional improvement, service use.