Who lives in Scotland’s care homes? Descriptive analysis using routinely collected social care data 2012–16

Background Adults living in long-term care are a significant and complex population who are under-represented in research using traditional methodologies. 

Methods The aim of this study was to provide the first description of the adult care home population and their homes, using routinely collected data. A retrospective descriptive analysis was performed using the Scottish Care Home Census (SCHC) between 1 April 2012 and 31 March 2016.
 
Results Data are from 1,299 care home services (79.3–89.7% completeness), including 34,399–39,311 residents per year across all regions of Scotland. A total of 68% of residents are female, with median age 84 years. 27% fund their own care. Over 85% of self-funded residents receive free personal care allowance. Around 60% require care from a registered nurse and 49% have a formal diagnosis of dementia.

The majority of admissions come from hospital (46%). Between 13 and 17% of residents die annually, with a median time to death of 596–653 days. 

Conclusions This study provides the most comprehensive descriptive data of UK care home residents available. There is scope to enhance the information available through linkage to other routine sources.