Two-year Changes in the Kihon Checklist and Initiations of Long-term Care in Community-dwelling Elderly

Abstract

[Purpose] This study was conducted to clarify the relationship between the two-year change in each domain of the Kihon Checklist and initiations of long-term care in community-dwelling elderly. [Participants and Methods] Handwritten questionnaires, including the Kihon Checklist, were distributed in 2012 and 2014 to a cohort of elderly people. The scores in each domain of the checklist in 2012 were subtracted from those in 2014 and defined as the deterioration in the Kihon Checklist score. We analyzed the data of 11174 individuals from the perspective of the relationship between initiations of long-term care in 2015–2017 and the deterioration in the Kihon Checklist scores. [Results] Physical function deterioration, nutrition deterioration, homebound state deterioration, cognitive function deterioration and depressive mood deterioration were significantly associated with new certifications of long-term care. [Conclusion] It is necessary to use the Kihon Checklist continually or to monitor progress over the medium term for early preventive intervention.