The influence of formal and informal care on health services use by disabled elderly in Spain

ROGERO GARCÍA J.; PRIETO FLORES, M.E.; ROSENBERG, M.W.

Congreso; XII International Symposium in Medical Geography; 2007

Introduction. As people growth older, the requirements for support to perform activities of daily living increase. In Spain, those who need this help constitute nearly 20 per cent of the population aged 65 years and over. Support may correspond to formal care, informal care or both, and they have distinct consequences on the life conditions of care receivers and their social networks. The aim of this presentation is to analyze the relationship between informal and formal care on the use of health services among older people. Methods. Sample: 1,148 individuals aged 65 and over (322 men and 826 women) who reported they needed help in activities of daily living and, in addition, identified their care providers or reported they did not receive care. Database: 2003 National Health Survey (National Institute of Statistics). Variables: The dependent variables included were hospitalization, emergency services and medical consultation. The independent variable were type of care received (formal, informal, both, or none care) and the control variables were sex, age, level of difficulty in daily activities, self-perceived health status, and level of education. Procedures: crosstabulations and logistic regression analysis. Results and conclusions. Disabled elderly who do not receive any type of care seem to consult physicians in greater proportions than those who receive informal care. No significant relationships were found between type of care and the utilization of other health services. It is expected that these findings contribute to enhance policymaking in the coordination of health services and long-term care.