Community living older adults’ appraisal of future health and care needs: a cross-sectional study

Efficacious self-management at older ages requires the ability to make an accurate appraisal of one’s current and future health situation. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore how community living older adults, with different self-perceived health status, appraise their future health status and their future health-care and housing needs.

The study population, 555 community living older adults, aged 65–75, completed a questionnaire for self-screening of their general health status.

The results show that over 70% of the older adults, even many of those who perceive their own health status to be “poor” or “fair” and those who are “frail”, do not expect deterioration in their physical or mental health nor extra health-care or housing needs within the next half year. In addition, a substantial part of the respondents, particularly those who perceive their general health as less favourable, tend to have a “wait-and-see” attitude and want to live their life day-to-day.

Community living older adults may not always be able or motivated to monitor their own health condition and prepare themselves for changing needs. Supporting older adults by motivating and teaching them to monitor their condition and overcome barriers to engage in pro-active coping can help older adults to manage the negative consequences of ageing while they have still sufficient resources available.

The findings of this study can help health-care professionals to tailor the support of older adults’ self-management.