應用資料包絡分析法探討休閒活動的投入對安養機構經營效率之影響

Abstract

由於臺灣高齡人口比例增加，未來高齡者人數將迅速攀升，推估在民國114 年將進入超高齡社會，因此，高齡者之照顧需求日趨重要。由於社會變遷，過去傳統家庭的社會結構已漸轉型為折衷家庭，臺灣對於高齡者的照顧方式也日益成熟及多元，安養機構係為照顧選擇之一，其經營效率亦相當重要。安養機構之服務對象為日常生活能自理的高齡者，機構也安排各種休閒活動之服務，亦屬其經營一環，但相關研究鮮少將休閒活動變數納入經營效率作探討，故本研究欲探討休閒活動之投入是否會影響安養機構之經營效率，本研究以全臺共52家之安養機構及合併型機構含安養之部分，就純安養之範圍為研究對象，研究資料係透過郵寄問卷資料予管理者之方式蒐集2012年之全年資料，共計回收31家，研究透過各投入項(護理人員數、社會工作人員數、照顧服務員數、床位數、休閒活動服務次數)，以及產出項(入住實際人數、平均入住年數)為變項，以資料包絡分析法 (Data Envelopment Analysis, DEA) 進行經營效率評估，再以成對樣本t檢定檢驗納入休閒活動與否對效率值是否有顯著差異。研究結果顯示納入休閒活動會對機構經營效率有影響，未納入休閒活動服務次數平均效率值為0.84，納入休閒活動服務次數平均效率值為0.9，顯示納入休閒活動服務次數之效率值較高，有效率者為18家，未達效率者為13家。因此，納入休閒活動服務次數的DEA模型較能正確衡量安養機構的效率值。本研究依照差額變數分析值後建議未達效率之機構應減少投入資源，以提昇經營效率。建議未來研究方向可進一步調查住民對於機構休閒活動之品質作為探討。With the increase in Taiwan’s elderly population, elderly cares become an essential issue. Senior homes change their role from taking aging residents in to offering residents a range of leisure activities in order to expand their caring function and expedite their efficiency. However, the extant researches neglect the issue of the senior homes efficiency. This study incorporating the frequency of leisure activities assesses the senior home efficiency through the multiple-objective data envelopment analysis (DEA). The survey was carried out in 2013 through mail and telephone reminders for 52 senior homes including the continuing care institutions. Usable responses from 31 senior homes were collected, yielding a 60% response rate. The research assesses the efficiency of 31 senior homes with considering input variables( the number of registered nurses, social workers, nurse aids, the number of beds and the frequency of leisure activities) and output variables ( the number of residents and the average duration of their stay) through an input-oriented DEA. The study further uses a paired t-test examining the efficiency difference between these two efficiency evaluation models with/without including the frequency of leisure activities. The test showed that the inclusion of leisure activities affected the operational efficiency of observed senior homes. The average efficiency score of the DEA model without including the input variable of the number of leisure activities is 0.84. In contrast to this, the average efficiency score of the DEA model including the input variable of the number of leisure activities is 0.9, indicating that the efficiency without including the variable of leisure activity has been underestimated. Of 31 total observed senior homes, 18 were assessed in the efficient frontier. Thus 13 were valued as inefficient senior homes. According to the slack value analysis, it is suggested that senior homes should reduce the average input resources as to promote operational efficiency. Future research could incorporate the impact of the quality of leisure activities on the operational efficiency of these senior homes.