Assessment of Social and Health Service Needs in Senior Population

Abstract

P-401 Introduction: The long term demographical changes (decreasing natality and concurrent aging of population) became a problem in the Czech Republic alike in other European countries. Aging of population is a complex of problems consisting of demographical, economical, social, health a psychical dimension. The goal of the presented study was to bring the analysis of health and social needs of the elderly in the region as a background for development of appropriate services. Methods: Randomly selected 3.300 elderly people in the North Moravia region were invited to participate in a questionnaire study. The double-entry data was analyzed by χ2-test and logistic regression using the statistical software STATA, v.9. Results: The total number of analyzed questionnaires was 2,385 (response rate 72.3%). More women (64.8%) than men participated in the study; the average age of the sample was 72 years. About half of them lived in a marriage or with a friend, the other lived alone. Only 10% of respondents declared good subjective health, about half of them evaluated their health status as adequate to age and more than one third (37.6%) reported serious illness. The most frequently reported illness was hypertension, arthrosis and cardiovascular diseases. The self-sufficiency was declared in 78.3% of respondents; 15.6% of them were partly limited in self-sufficiency and 6.1% were completely disabled. The obtained health care was evaluated as good, but the positive perception became adverse in association with the decreasing self-sufficiency. The social services were used in 18.1% of the elderly and home nurse services in 6.4% of respondents. The services were mostly provided by local government institutions (93.0%). Further need of help was perceived in 10.2% of respondents, mostly in people with partly limited self-sufficiency. People in need of help of other people or institutions preferred among other suggestions more often to stay at home with help of home nurse services (OR 4.57; 95%CI =2.90–7.19). The request of social and health services were reported more in men, women perceived more need of help with house-keeping. Respondents being in care of a family surprisingly missed the social contacts and help with transportation to a physician. The other seniors in care of institutions or persons outside family missed help with house-keeping. The need of help of other person was significantly higher in women (OR 1.32; 95%CI =1.04–1.67), in people living alone (OR 1.26; 95%CI =1.17–1.36) and was higher in more old people, in people who felt the insufficient care of their family (OR 2.65; 95%CI =2.03–3.45) or an institution (OR 12.4; 95%CI =9.2–16.65). The plans where to spend their old age (at own home, with family, in pensioners home) in the elderly dependent on help of other people did not differ by sex, age and family status. Discussion and Conclusions: The results of the study indicated the target groups for social and health service distribution. The services should be focused on the groups of old people with partly limited self-sufficiency. The most requested of social and health services were home nurse services and help with house-keeping and transport to a physician.