Assistive Devices for Older Adults: A Longitudinal Study of Policy Effectiveness, Santiago, Chile, 2014-2016

INTRODUCTION Population aging is a worldwide phenomenon. It is estimated that by 2050, one of five persons will be aged ≥60 years. In Chile, 15.8% of the population is now aged ≥60 years, and this figure will reach 30.7% by 2050. In 2006, a national program was implemented to provide assistive devices to older adults aged ≥65 years with limited mobility or difficulty performing activities of daily living. To date, there have been no assessments of the program's effectiveness. OBJECTIVE Assess the effectiveness of an assistive devices policy in Chile on improving functional capacity of older adults aged ≥65 years, and beneficiaries' perceptions of the services received, including changes in their quality of life. METHODS This was a before-after longitudinal study. A cohort of 309 persons was recruited, consisting of patients who received care at a public hospital in Santiago, Chile during 2014-2015. They were assessed before delivery of assistive devices, then followed for seven months, with repeated evaluations made in their homes. The following indicators were measured: functional capacity (Tinetti scale and Barthel Index); changes in perceived quality of life related to use of assistive devices; and other sociodemographic, clinical and protocol-compliance variables. A longitudinal analysis of before-after progress was carried out, as well as a description of service delivery and medical followup. RESULTS Sixty-eight percent of those surveyed were women; median age was 74 years, average schooling was 6 years, and 93% had low income (monthly income