Abstract
The population in Latin America is ageing, and there is an inevitable demand for long-term care services. However, there are no comparative analyses between Latin American countries of the dependency situation of older adults. This study aims to calculate and compare percentages of older adults who need help performing the activities of daily living in six Latin American nations. The study is observational, transversal, and cross-national and uses microdata drawn from national surveys conducted in Argentina (n = 3291), Brazil (n = 3903), Chile (n = 31,667), Colombia (n = 17,134), Mexico (n = 7909), and Uruguay (n = 4042). Comparable indicators of the need for help in performing the basic and instrumental activities of daily living were calculated. The percentages of older adults in need of help for basic activities of daily living ranged from 5.8% in Argentina to 11% in Brazil; for instrumental activities of daily living, from 13.8% in Mexico to 35.7% in Brazil; and combined, from 18.1% in Argentina to 37.1% in Brazil. Brazil thus has the highest indicators, followed by Colombia. The results warn of the frail physical condition of older people and the high potential demand for long-term care services. The information provided could be useful for further research on and planning for long-term care needs in Latin American and middle-income countries.
Highlights
One of the current main challenges for Latin American governments is to respond to the demands associated with the rapid and unprecedented ageing of the population—within the 25 years, there will be more older adults (65 years and over) than children [1]
Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean have called on governments to develop long-term care (LTC) systems for older adults [3,4]
LTC encompasses the broad range of services and assistance provided to people who are limited in their ability to function independently on a daily basis, i.e., people who, for an extended period, need help to carry out activities of daily living (ADL), such as eating, showering, or getting dressed [5,6]
Summary
One of the current main challenges for Latin American governments is to respond to the demands associated with the rapid and unprecedented ageing of the population—within the 25 years, there will be more older adults (65 years and over) than children (under 15 years) [1]. LTC encompasses the broad range of services and assistance provided to people who are limited in their ability to function independently on a daily basis, i.e., people who, for an extended period, need help to carry out activities of daily living (ADL), such as eating, showering, or getting dressed [5,6]. These services are classified as either home-based or residential; the former include services that allow the beneficiary to continue living in their own home (home care assistance, day and night care centers, telecare, etc.), while the latter are services provided in facilities, such as nursing homes, where the beneficiary has access to care and functional support 24 h a day—these are designed for the most severe health situations [7]. The majority of LTC recipients are older adults: four out of five are over 65 years old [6]
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