Health Characteristics Of Older Adults Research Articles

DETERMINANTS OF INFORMAL CARE TRAJECTORIES IN ENGLAND

Abstract In the context of an ageing population, combined with long-standing challenges in the delivery of formal social care for older people, unpaid caregivers play a key role in promoting the quality of life of older people and their extended families and ensuring that needs for care and support are met. Although many studies have provided snapshots of informal care provision, few so far have examined longitudinal patterns of informal care provision among older people. This paper aims to describe caregiving trajectories in later life and to examine how socioeconomic, demographic, and health characteristics of older adults relate to these patterns (including needs and enabling factors). Using six waves of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, we conduct latent trajectory analysis to cluster people’s diverse trajectories into a finite number of groups. The intensity of informal care provision is also considered when identifying longitudinal trajectories. Preliminary results show five distinct trajectories of informal care provision (including those who never provide informal care, those who provide sporadic informal care, those with increasing and decreasing commitment to care provision, and those who care throughout). Gender, age, health, income, living arrangements, and family compositions all relate to long-term trajectories of informal care, with younger married women in good health more likely to provide informal care throughout. Support should be provided to this group of caregivers, given that engagement in long-term caregiving might be detrimental to mental health.

Prescribed opioid use is associated with increased all-purpose emergency department visits and hospitalizations in community-dwelling older adults in the United States.

The geriatric and health characteristics of older adults make them more susceptible to the effects of opioids than younger groups. The number of older adults in the United States visiting the emergency department (ED) and overusing opioids has increased in recent years. Research examining their relationship is, however, limited. Using information from the 2020 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), we included older adults aged 65 and older. To investigate the relationship between prescribed opioid use and 12-months ED visits and hospitalizations, linear regression and logistic regression models were built while adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, education, employment, general health status, history of depression, and living arrangement. Our study population consisted of 8,631 participants (mean age 74.3). Most of them were females (58.3%) and Caucasian (81.6%). About 16% of the participants used prescribed opioids over the past 12 months. Of the participants with prescribed opioid use, 65.1% of them did so to treat chronic pain. The adjusted regression models revealed that prescribed opioid use was independently and positively associated with 12-months ED visits (β = 0.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.18, 0.26) and hospitalizations (Odds ratio [OR] = 3.78, 95% CI 3.29, 4.35). Other risk factors for 12-months ED visits and/or hospitalizations included advanced age, male gender, unemployment/retirement, African American ethnicity, living alone, fair or poor general health status, and history of depression. Clinicians should screen older adults at high risk for ED visits and hospitalizations and explore multimodal pain management with them to help them reduce/stop using opioids. These efforts may decrease their chronic pain, opioid use, opioid use-related adverse health outcomes, ED visits, as well as hospitalizations.

A cross-sectional description of the health characteristics of cognitively impaired older adults.

The analysis presented here describes the care needs of older adults with and without cognitive impairment. To describe the health characteristics of older adults with and without cognitive impairment who receive home care or Aged Residential Care services in New Zealand. A descriptive analysis of the initial interRAI assessment for adults older than 55 years was undertaken. Data were grouped by level of assessed cognitive impairment. The population proportions for each level of the following scales were calculated: Changes in Health, End-stage Disease, Signs, and Symptoms Scale (CHESS), pain, pressure injury risk, Activities of Daily Living (ADL), depression screening, and body mass index (BMI). The analysis included 93,680 assessments. The mean age was 83 years (SD=8.7) a positive association was observed between age and cognitive impairment (p < 0.01). People with cognitive impairment were less likely to have been recently hospitalised or to have attended ED (p < 0.01). Significant associations with effect sizes ≥3 were observed for cognitive impairment and ADL (p < 0.01, γ=0.63), pain (p < 0.01, γ=-0.32), and risk of pressure injury (p < 0.01, Cramer's V=0.271). The results reinforce a need to be alert to the differential care needs of older adults with moderate/severe cognitive impairment. The findings may act as a trigger for practitioners to focus assessment on aspects of care that, due to context, may otherwise be underassessed or untreated.

Effects of social participation patterns and living arrangement on mental health of Chinese older adults: A latent class analysis.

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to discover patterns of social participation among Chinese older individuals, investigate the links between these patterns and their living arrangements and mental health, and connect these patterns to their background characteristics.MethodsData were drawn from the 2014 and 2018 waves of Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) from 2537 Chinese elders aged 60 years and over at the baseline. Latent class analysis was used to determine the patterns of social participation. Multinomial logistic regression was used to explore the relationship between patterns of social participation and the sociodemographic and health characteristics of older adults. Binary logistic regression was used to explore the differences and associations between these categories and living arrangement on mental health status, represented by positive and negative emotions.ResultsThree patterns of social participation were identified: Low activity (17.5%, n = 443); Moderate activity (36.2%, n = 1,176); and High activity (46.3%, n = 918). At baseline, these patterns were significantly associated with mental health status. Positive and negative emotions were much better in the High activity group than in the other two groups (OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.05–1.76 and OR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.16–1.93). Living arrangement only significantly affected negative emotions (OR=1.25, 95% CI = 1.02–1.53). Age, gender, education, marital status, self-rated health, and activities of daily living limitations all affected social participation patterns.ConclusionsThe patterns of social participation and living arrangement of Chinese older adults are significantly associated with mental health. Population-tailored interventions may help liberate older adults from domestic labor and improve social participation. Moreover, family support can decrease negative emotions' damage in old age thus promoting health.

Práticas de autocuidado em saúde entre pessoas idosas com morbidade da comunidade

to describe sociodemographic and health characteristics of older adults with morbidity, identify self-care practices and verify the association of sociodemographic variables with those related to health and self-care practices. a quantitative, analytical and cross-sectional household survey, developed in the urban area in the countryside of Minas Gerais, from 2017 to 2018. A total of 796 older adults were assessed using validated instruments, such as Geriatric Depression Scale: short form, Brazilian Questionnaire for Functional and Multidimensional Assessment, International Physical Activity Questionnaire, Instrument for Assessing Attitude Towards Taking Medications. Multiple logistic regression (p<0.05) was used. negative self-perceived health was associated with low income and education. As for self-care in health, being physically active associated with the age group 60 |-| 79 years and higher education. sociodemographic variables such as sex, age group, income, education, marital status, housing arrangement were related to health status and self-care practice.

Relationship Between Life-Space Mobility and Health Characteristics in Older Adults Using Global Positioning System Watches.

This study aimed to examine the feasibility of using global positioning system (GPS) watches to examine relationships between GPS-based life-space mobility (LSM) metrics and self-report LSM and health measures (physical, psychological, and cognitive function) among older adults. Thirty participants wore a Fitbit Surge for 3days. Eight spatial and temporal LSM measures were derived from GPS data. About 90% of in-home movement speeds were zero, indicating the sedentary lifestyle, but they made some active out-of-home trips as the total distance traveled and size of movement area indicated. There was a significant difference in total distance traveled and 95th percentile of movement speed between mild cognitive and intact cognition groups. GPS-based higher proportion of out-of-home time was significantly associated with greater functional fitness. Greater GPS use hours were significantly associated with higher cognition. These findings suggest the potential of GPS watches to continuously monitor changes in functional health to inform prevention efforts.

A systematic review and gap analysis of frailty and oral health characteristics in older adults: A call for clinical translation.

This systematic review updates the evidence for association between oral health characteristics and frailty status, identifying gaps in translational dental research and application of frailty assessment into clinical practice. Clinicians have little guidance on stage-appropriate dental treatment for medically complex older adults. Oral health characteristics have been associated with frailty status, determined through validated assessment tools representing a concise measure of health. Translation of frailty assessment into dental practice has not been the focus of previous reviews. Utilising the PRISMA framework for systematic reviews, a comprehensive database search identified articles describing the association of interest. Those included were cross-sectional or longitudinal, in English, included participants aged 50years or older, used validated frailty assessments and measured clinically relevant oral health outcomes. From 835 screened articles, 26 full-text articles were eligible for quality appraisal and synthesis. Frailty prevalence ranged from 8.5% to 66.0%. Most studies utilised the Fried frailty criteria. Qualitative synthesis of 17 cross-sectional and nine longitudinal studies demonstrated significant covariate-adjusted association between frailty status and number of teeth, chewing ability, prosthetic characteristics, dental caries, periodontitis, dental utilisation and oral health-related quality of life factors. Variability in findings reflected study sample diversity based on country of study origin, age at recruitment, sample size, frailty assessment type, use of clinical versus self-reported outcome measures and differences in statistical analysis. Despite robust evidence of association with oral health characteristics, frailty assessment has yet to be sufficiently applied to translational dental research and clinical practice.

Behavioral changes and hygiene practices of older adults in Japan during the first wave of COVID-19 emergency

BackgroundOn April 7, 2020, Japan declared a state of emergency due to the first wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with the associated social distancing likely to have had a great impact on older adults’ lifestyle and health. This study aimed to explore the behavioral changes and personal hygiene practices in relation with background psychosocial and health characteristics of older adults during the COVID-19 emergency.MethodsA cross-sectional telephonic survey was conducted with the participants of the Kawasaki Aging and Wellbeing Project (KAWP), an on-going longitudinal cohort study of older adults aged 85 or older. The interviews were conducted using a structured questionnaire consisting of 11 closed questions regarding behavioral changes and personal hygiene practices during the state of emergency. Sociodemographic and health data were obtained from the KAWP baseline survey conducted 2.2 years before the telephonic survey.ResultsOverall, 487 participants from the KAWP responded to the telephonic survey (response rate: 89.2%). 94.5% of the respondents reported no changes in basic lifestyle habits, such as eating, sleeping, smoking, and drinking, whereas 28.1% reported a decrease in physical activity, and 54.6% reported going out less frequently. One-third of the respondents reported a decrease in the number of people to converse with, as well as the amount of time to converse. For personal hygiene practices, 93.8% reported wearing a mask when they went out, and 50.3% reported an increased frequency of handwashing. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that engagement in physical activity at baseline (odds ratio [OR] = 1.95, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.23–3.08), smartphone ownership (OR = 2.15, 95% CI = 1.33–3.47), and visual impairment (OR = 1.79; 95% CI = 1.10–2.91) were independently associated with decreased physical activity during the COVID-19 emergency. Female respondents and smartphone ownership were significantly associated with more frequent handwashing.ConclusionsThe study revealed that older adults in an urban setting responded to the COVID-19 emergency with behavioral changes. The findings of this study have implications for the design of preventive strategies to maintain the health and wellbeing of at-risk older adults.

The Combined Burden of Hearing Loss and Cognitive Impairment in a Group Care Setting for Older Adults.

Purpose The purpose of the current study is to better characterize the medical and social health characteristics of older adults in a long-term group care setting and consider the impact of the dual burden of hearing loss and cognitive impairment. Method This descriptive analysis of a convenience sample of 160 adults (M age = 74 years, age range: 59.8-99.7) participating in Program for All-inclusive Care for the Elderly programs in Massachusetts and Rhode Island included data from hearing testing, questionnaires, and medical chart review. Using descriptive statistics, groups are compared across a range of demographic and health variables on the categorical bases of hearing loss and cognitive status. Results Results suggest that hearing loss and cognitive impairment are highly prevalent among this sample of older adults. Forty-three percent of this sample has at least a mild hearing loss in the better hearing ear in addition to cognitive impairment. Descriptive analyses across demographic and health variables suggest there are few differences between those with and without cognitive impairment when compared within degree of hearing loss categories in this convenience sample. Across all participants, there was a high prevalence of other chronic conditions, most notably diabetes (59%), hypertension (90%), cardiovascular disease (80%), and depression (67%). Conclusions In this sample, there were not significant differences on demographic and health variables between the cognitive impairment groups when considered within their degree of hearing loss; however, the prevalence of the dual burden of hearing loss and cognitive impairment in this sample is high. Clinicians serving older adults, especially those accessing group care services, should be cognizant of the high burden of multiple chronic conditions and plan care that can be integrated into a comprehensive approach.

Profile of Older Adults Who Received Wound Care by a Family Caregiver: The NHATS-NSOC 2017

A gap in knowledge exists related to the socio-demographic and health characteristics of older adults receiving wound care from a family caregiver in the home. We created a cohort (N=992) of older adults from NHATS who lived in the community or residential care (non-nursing home) and had a family caregiver complete the NSOC question “provides help with skin care related to wounds or sores”. Approximately one third (32%) of these older adults received wound care from a family caregiver. These older adults were more likely to be men, live with others, have lower levels of physical function, be malnourished (OR = 1.63 [95% CI = 1.02-2.60]), and have inflammation (hsCRP > median 1.89), P < .05. These findings can inform the needs of older adults receiving wound care from a family caregiver and lead to development of additional supports for caregivers (e.g., multi-component interventions).

Implications of 2020 Skilled Home Healthcare Payment Reform for Persons with Dementia.

The Medicare home health benefit provides episodic skilled home-based clinical care to the growing population of community-dwelling persons with dementia. As of January 1, 2020, home health payment changed: episodes shortened from 60 to 30 days, and episodes initiated in the community are now reimbursed at lower rates than episodes following institutional stays. We aim to assess the potential impact of these policy changes on this population. Cross-sectional study using the Medicare claims-linked National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS). A total of 1,867 NHATS respondents who received home health between 2011 and 2017. Dementia was defined through both self-report and a validated cognitive assessment through NHATS. We described the demographic, socioeconomic, and health characteristics of older adults with dementia receiving home health compared with those without dementia. We then assessed the association of dementia with both receiving community-initiated home health (vs postinstitutional) and visit timing during the home health episode. Over a follow-up period of just over 4 years, 50.2% of persons with dementia used home health compared with 15.3% of persons without dementia. Most home health provided to persons with dementia was initiated in the community (61%), compared with 37% of episodes provided to persons without dementia. Persons with dementia were more likely to receive care in days 31 to 60 of the episode compared with those without dementia. Shortening episodes and reimbursing community-initiated episodes at lower rates may disproportionately impact the highly vulnerable population of older adults with dementia, who receive more community-initiated care over longer time periods. Our work highlights the need to better understand the unique role of home health in meeting gaps in both acute- and long-term care systems for older adults with dementia. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:2303-2309, 2020.

Waiting for housing assistance: characteristics and narrative accounts of low-income older persons

ABSTRACTThe availability of publicly subsidized rental assistance does not meet demand, making waiting lists a reality for many individuals who apply for assistance. However, information about waitlisted applicants has rarely been collected as a means of understanding the demand for rental assistance in the United States (US). Publicly financed rental assistance provides an important economic resource to nearly 2 million persons aged 65 and older. Because older persons are more likely than younger persons to experience chronic health conditions and disability, it is important to also understand how health influences applicants’ perceived housing needs. The aims of this study were to describe the housing and health characteristics of older adults who applied for rental assistance. A mailed survey was completed by 267 waitlisted applicants aged 55 and older, and 29 of these respondents participated in a qualitative, in-depth interview. Survey results indicate that many applicants have poor health, experience housing instability, and lack social supports. Qualitative findings provide context regarding applicants’ reasons for applying for rental assistance, and the relationship between health and housing. Insights learned from these individuals can inform housing program and policy planning and future research using a largely overlooked population.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices related to the influenza virus and vaccine among older adults in Eastern China

BackgroundThis study aims to assess the association between socio-demographic and health characteristics of older adults in Eastern China and knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) about the influenza virus and vaccine. MethodsA prospective cohort of 1506 older adults (aged ≥60 years) was enrolled from November to December 2015 in Jiangsu Province. We examined the association between demographics, health and functional status, and cognitive impairment at enrollment with awareness of influenza virus and vaccine and KAP items focused on five Health Belief Model domains. At a 12-month follow-up interview we assessed change in awareness and readiness to be vaccinated. ResultsOne in five older adults was aware of the influenza virus (21%) or vaccine (20%); even fewer reported having at least “a little” knowledge of the virus and vaccine (7% and 4%, respectively); less than 1% reported ever receiving an influenza vaccine. Retirement, higher education and income, and normal cognitive status were consistently associated with both awareness and knowledge of influenza virus. The odds of having at least “a little” knowledge of the vaccine was 2.9-fold (95% CI = 1.6–5.3) higher among older adults with at least some secondary schooling. Among the 108 with knowledge of the virus, 55% said they “worry about getting the flu this season.” Among the 73 with knowledge of the vaccine, 92% believed the vaccine was at least somewhat effective and less than half (43%) thought that influenza vaccination was safe. At a 12-month follow-up interview, 33% (442/1333) increased from no knowledge to at least “a little”. ConclusionsIf and when influenza vaccines become widely available to older adults in China, our results indicate that influenza vaccination campaigns with basic information on the virus and vaccine could be beneficial for all older adults, especially those with less education and/or more cognitive impairment.

Socioeconomic and health characteristics of older adults cared for by a multiprofessional family health team

Abstract Introduction: Population aging may give rise to a greater burden of diseases and disabilities, leading to the greater use of health services and the need for studies of the aged population. Health care teams and specialized residency programs constitute a strategy for the monitoring of older adults’ health status. Objective: To investigate the socioeconomic profile and health status of older adults in different age groups cared for by a multiprofessional family health team. Methods: This cross-sectional, quantitative study was conducted with 249 older adults registered in a Family Health Strategy (FHS) program in Uberaba, MG, Brazil. Socioeconomic and health status data were collected through home interviews using a structured questionnaire. Chi-square analysis was used for descriptive and bivariate analyses (p &lt; 0.05). Results: Most older adults aged 60-70 years were functionally independent, married and had a mean monthly income of 1-3 times the Brazilian minimum wage. Older adults aged 70 - 79 years made use of 1 - 3 medications and had morbidities such as depression, cataract and glaucoma. There was a greater proportion of illiterates in the age group 80 years or over. Conclusion: Socioecnomic and health status were associated with age groups. Of note, there was a higher prevalence of medication use and morbidities among older adults aged 70 -79 years. The knowledge of these characteristics helps FHS team members to implement more accurate and customized strategies and interventions to deliver more effective and efficient care to older adults. Moreover, participation in a multiprofessional team provides an interdisciplinary learning and work experience for health professionals.

Relationship between Objectively Measured Transportation Behaviors and Health Characteristics in Older Adults.

This study used objective Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to investigate the relationship between pedestrian and vehicle trips to physical, cognitive, and psychological functioning in older adults living in retirement communities. Older adults (N = 279; mean age = 83 ± 6 years) wore a GPS and accelerometer for 6 days. Participants completed standard health measures. The Personal Activity and Location Measurement System (PALMS) was used to calculate the average daily number of trips, distance, and minutes traveled for pedestrian and vehicle trips from the combined GPS and accelerometer data. Linear mixed effects regression models explored relationships between these transportation variables and physical, psychological and cognitive functioning. Number, distance, and minutes of pedestrian trips were positively associated with physical and psychological functioning but not cognitive functioning. Number of vehicle trips was negatively associated with fear of falls; there were no other associations between the vehicle trip variables and functioning. Vehicle travel did not appear to be related to functioning in older adults in retirement communities except that fear of falling was related to number of vehicle trips. Pedestrian trips had moderate associations with multiple physical and psychological functioning measures, supporting a link between walking and many aspects of health in older adults.

Demographic, lifestyle, and health characteristics of older adults with prediabetes in England

ObjectiveTo describe the demographic, lifestyle, and health characteristics of older adults with prediabetes compared to those with normal glucose levels or diabetes. MethodParticipants were from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging 2004–2005 (n=4168). Statistical analyses examined differences between people with prediabetes and 1) people with normal glucose levels and 2) people with diabetes. Design-based F-statistics and t-tests tested differences for each characteristic individually and multinomial logistic regression examined adjusted associations. Survey weighting and cluster information was used to generalize to the older English population. ResultsCompared to people with normal glucose levels, people with prediabetes were older (RR=1.05 95% CI 1.04–1.07), more likely to be employed (RR=1.27 95% CI 1.01–1.60), more likely to smoke (RR=2.21 95% CI 1.74–2.80), and had higher BMIs (RR=1.08 95% CI 1.06–1.10). Compared to people with diabetes, people with prediabetes were more likely to be women (RR=2.12 95% CI 1.57–2.86), more likely to be employed (RR=1.54 95% CI 1.02–2.33), had lower BMIs (RR=0.95 95% CI 0.93–0.98), were less likely to have a cardiovascular condition (RR=0.34 95% CI 0.24–0.47), and had higher self-rated health (χ2=26.08, p<0.001). ConclusionOlder adults with prediabetes have a unique set of characteristics that may inform prevention or intervention schemes.

The fall descriptions and health characteristics of older adults with hip fracture: a mixed methods study.

BackgroundIn light of the multifactorial etiology of fall-related hip fracture, knowledge of fall circumstances may be especially valuable when placed in the context of the health of the person who falls. We aimed to investigate the circumstances surrounding fall-related hip fractures and to describe fall circumstances in relation to participants’ health and functional characteristics.MethodsThe fall circumstances of 125 individuals (age ≥ 50 years) with hip fracture were investigated using semi-structured interviews. Data concerning participants’ health (comorbidities and medications) and function (self-reported performance of mobility, balance, personal activities of daily living and physical activity, previous falls and hand grip strength) were collected via medical records, questionnaires and dynamometry. Using a mixed methods design, both data sets were analysed separately and then merged in order to provide a comprehensive description of fall events and identify eventual patterns in the data.ResultsFall circumstances were described as i) Activity at the time of the fall: Positional change (n = 24, 19%); Standing (n = 16, 13%); Walking (n = 71, 57%); Balance challenging (n = 14, 11%) and ii) Nature of the fall: Environmental (n = 32, 26%); Physiological (n = 35, 28%); Activity-related indoor (n = 8, 6%) and outdoor (n = 8, 6%); Trips and slips on snow (n = 20, 16%) and in snow-free conditions (n = 12, 10%) and Unknown (n = 10, 8%). We observed the following patterns regarding fall circumstances and participants’ health: those who fell i) during positional change had the poorest functional status; ii) due to environmental reasons (indoors) had moderate physical function, but high levels of comorbidity and fall risk increasing medications; iii) in snow-free environments (outdoors) appeared to have a poorer health and functional status than other outdoor groups.ConclusionsOur findings indicate that patterns exist in relation to the falls circumstances and health characteristics of people with hip fracture which build upon that previously reported. These patterns, when verified, can provide useful information as to the ways in which fall prevention strategies can be tailored to individuals of varying levels of health and function who are at risk for falls and hip fracture.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12877-015-0036-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Sex Differences in the Construct Overlap of Frailty and Depression: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study

To determine the degree of diagnostic overlap between frailty and depression and to investigate whether sex differences in symptom endorsement influence this overlap. Cross-sectional latent class analysis. Data were from the 2008 wave of the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative longitudinal survey of health characteristics of older adults. Community-dwelling adults aged 65 and older completing a general health questionnaire and consenting to physical measurements (N = 3,665). Frailty was measured using criteria developed in the Cardiovascular Health Study, and depressive symptoms were measured using the eight-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale. Frailty and depression were best modeled as two distinct but highly correlated constructs with three and four classes of symptom response, respectively. Measurement overlap was high in men and women. Approximately 73% of individuals with severe depressive symptoms and 86% with primarily somatic depressive symptoms were categorized as concurrently frail. The degree of construct overlap between depression and frailty did not significantly vary according to sex, but women were significantly more likely to endorse all frailty and depressive symptoms. Measures of depression and frailty identify substantially overlapping populations of older men and women. More-frequent endorsement of depressive symptoms, but not differential endorsement of somatic symptoms, may contribute to the higher prevalence of frailty in women. The symptom of exhaustion is particularly important to the correlation between these two conditions. Findings will inform clinician and researcher efforts to refine the definition of geriatric syndromes such as frailty and to develop effective interventions.

Demographic and health characteristics of residents choosing to use on-site medical care in a newly opened continuing care retirement community (CCRC).

To determine demographic and health characteristics of older adults choosing to use on-site medical care in a continuing care retirement community (CCRC). A descriptive study of residents moving into a newly opened CCRC. Residents responded to a self-report mail survey composed of questions related to reasons for moving to a CCRC, health and functional status,health care use during the previous 5 years. Of 942 residents, 642 (68%) completed the survey. Medical center users and nonusers were similar demographically and reported similar reasons for moving to the CCRC including desire for a low maintenance apartment (49% vs. 48%; P = 0.806), concern about health or spouse's health (67% vs. 63%; P = 0.345), and desire for social activities (63% vs. 58%; P = 0.151). However, on-site medical center users versus nonusers reported increased rates of fair/poor health (31% vs. 18%; P = 0.0001), fair/poor vision (27% vs. 15%; P = 0.0003),difficulty walking in the home (13% vs. 8%; P = 0.53), using the toilet (6% vs. 2%; P = 0.044), shopping (29% vs. 20%; P = 0.007), using transportation (19% vs. 10%; P = 0.005), doing laundry (13% vs. 7%; P = 0.016), using the telephone (8% vs. 3%; P = 0.002), and taking medication (5% vs. 1%; P = 0.022). For both users and nonusers of the medical center, the most frequently cited reason for moving to the CCRC was concern about health. On-site medical center users had lower perceived health, were functionally more disabled, and had health characteristics that made them at higher risk for high health care utilization. The challenges to provide high quality medical care and enhance quality of life for CCRC residents will continue to increase. Physicians should play an active role not only in providing medical care to CCRC residents, but also in providing medical leadership for these institutions.

Demographic and Health Characteristics of Residents Choosing to Use On-site Medical Care in a Newly Opened Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC)

<h3>Objective</h3> To determine demographic and health characteristics of older adults choosing to use on-site medical care in a continuing care retirement community (CCRC). <h3>Design</h3> A descriptive study of residents moving into a newly opened CCRC. Residents responded to a self-report mail survey composed of questions related to reasons for moving to a CCRC, health and functional status, and health care use during the previous 5 years. <h3>Results</h3> Of 942 residents, 642 (68%) completed the survey. Medical center users and nonusers were similar demographically and reported similar reasons for moving to the CCRC including desire for a low maintenance apartment (49% vs. 48%;<i>P</i> = 0.806), concern about health or spouse's health (67% vs. 63%;<i>P</i> = 0.345), and desire for social activities (63% vs. 58%;<i>P</i> = 0.151). However, on-site medical center users versus nonusers reported increased rates of fair/poor health (31% vs. 18%;<i>P</i> = 0.0001), fair/poor vision (27% vs. 15%;<i>P</i> = 0.0003), and difficulty walking in the home (13% vs. 8%;<i>P</i> = 0.53), using the toilet (6% vs. 2%;<i>P</i> = 0.044), shopping (29% vs. 20%;<i>P</i> = 0.007), using transportation (19% vs. 10%;<i>P</i> = 0.005), doing laundry (13% vs. 7%;<i>P</i> = 0.016), using the telephone (8% vs. 3%;<i>P</i> = 0.002), and taking medication (5% vs. 1%;<i>P</i> = 0.022). <h3>Conclusion</h3> For both users and nonusers of the medical center, the most frequently cited reason for moving to the CCRC was concern about health. On-site medical center users had lower perceived health, were functionally more disabled, and had health characteristics that made them at higher risk for high health care utilization. The challenges to provide high quality medical care and enhance quality of life for CCRC residents will continue to increase. Physicians should play an active role not only in providing medical care to CCRC residents, but also in providing medical leadership for these institutions.