Quais os fatores associados a se ter o suporte necessário quando a pessoa idosa tem dificuldade e precisa de ajuda em atividades de vida diária?

Abstract

Introduction: With the advance of age, difficulties may happen when accomplishing basic (BADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). Understanding which socioeconomic, access to the support network and health services conditions determine that the older people receive the support when there are difficulties in activities of daily living (ADL) are essential to plan the social health network. Objective: Analyze the compelling points of having support when the older people show difficulties and need help to execute IADL or IADL and BADL. Methodology: Transversal (crosswise) study involving 1,428 participants of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA Study) in 2012 who showed difficulties and needed help performing IADL or IADL and BADL. The participants with difficulties in IADL were divided in two groups regarding the closure: 1) those who do not receive the assistance they need; and 2) those who receive the assistance they need. The participants with difficulties in both IADL and BADL were also divided in two groups: 1) those who do not receive the assistance they need; and 2) those who receive the assistance they need. The variables of exposition were: socio-demographic and psycho-social data, including the family household, the family composition, social participation and the formal support network. Two logistic regression models were utilized to analyse which associated factors of having the necessary assistance when the older people show difficulties and need help to execute IADL or IADL and BADL using groups with no assistance as reference. Results: Being older than 80 years old (OR=3,85 IC95% 1,83–8,07), being a woman (OR=2,01 IC95% 1,14–3,54), belonging to the biggest quintile income group (OR=2,68 IC95% 1,01 7,13), having siblings (OR=2,13 IC95% 1,16–3,92) and attending to social clubs (OR=2,79 IC95% 1,26–6,16) were the factors associated with having the assistance when oneself showed difficulties only in IADL, while being married (OR=0,29 IC95% 0,09–0,90) and attending churches or religious groups (OR=0,50 IC95% 0,97–0,92) were factors associated with less chance of having the assistance when they needed. Being a man (OR=1,40 IC95% 1,05–1,88), not living alone (OR=1,81 IC95% 1,10 3,03), being married (OR=2,01 IC95% 1,24–3,27) and having a homecare support (OR=8,00 IC95% 3,80–16,82) were the factors associated with having the assistance when oneself showed difficulties in IADL and BADL. Conclusion: For those who have difficulty and need help only in IADL, the biggest income, the household composition 7 characteristics and the social participation were associated with having the proper assistance. Those who have difficulty in both IADL and BADL, the formal care was an important associated factor. Knowing these characteristics is essential and it contributes to plan the social health network and to formulate public policies that effectively assist older people who show difficulty and need help with IADL and BADL but do not have it.