Access to information on home- and community-based services and functional status

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Access to information on home- and community-based services (HCBS) is crucial for older adults.
• Functional status significantly impacts older adults' ability to navigate and utilize available support services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate disparities in accessing HCBS information among older adults based on their functional status.
• To identify specific characteristics associated with limited HCBS information access within different functional groups.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 5435 community-dwelling older adults in Vaud, Switzerland.
• Data were analyzed by stratifying participants based on functional status (robust, dependent, vulnerable).
• Self-reported knowledge of information sources for 13 HCBS was assessed to determine access levels.

Main Results:

• Functionally vulnerable older adults were proportionally more likely to lack information on HCBS compared to robust and dependent individuals.
• Among robust individuals, males and those with lower financial status had higher odds of limited information access.
• Low financial status was also linked to reduced information access in vulnerable groups, while younger age increased limited access among dependent individuals.

Conclusions:

• Developing tailored strategies to enhance HCBS information access for each functional status group is essential.
• Future research should employ complex conceptual frameworks, similar to those used for HCBS utilization, to further explore information access barriers.