Barriers Experienced by Community-Dwelling Older Adults Navigating Formal Care: Evidence From an Australian Population-Based National Survey

TL;DR

This study explores how psychosocial factors like social isolation and distress affect unmet care needs in older adults navigating formal home-based care in Australia.

Contribution

The study identifies psychosocial and informal support factors as predictors of unmet care needs in older adults.

Findings

Perceived social isolation increases odds of unmet care needs.

High psychological distress is strongly linked to unmet needs.

Lack of informal support raises the likelihood of unmet care needs.

Abstract

This study aims to identify the relationship between psychosocial factors and unmet needs among community-dwelling older adults who have received or who expect to receive formal home-based aged care services.

A subsample of the national Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers was used to examine the prevalence of having any unmet needs among older adults navigating care. We also examined associations between older adults’ psychosocial factors and their unmet needs using logistic regression.

Regression analyses highlighted that perceived social isolation (OR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.30–2.01), high/very high psychological distress (OR = 2.11, 95% CI: 1.52–2.93), and occasional assistance from informal support (OR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.22–3.05) were associated with increased odds of having unmet needs, after adjusting for other covariates.

Our study suggests that older adults facing psychosocial difficulties or lacking informal support are more likely to encounter barriers in accessing formal care. Future policy should address the psychosocial needs and support networks of older adults.

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