Characterising Informal Care in Older Individuals Receiving Long-Term Home Care Support: A National Epidemiological...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Informal care is crucial for supporting older adults in long-term home care settings.
• Understanding trends in informal care availability is essential for planning future aged care services.
• Geographic variations in informal care may reflect differing community resources and support structures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence, trends, and geographic disparities of informal care among Australian long-term home care recipients.
• To analyze changes in informal care availability between 2012 and 2019.
• To identify factors influencing the presence of informal carers for older adults.

Main Methods:

• A population-based national cross-sectional study utilized the Registry of Senior Australians (ROSA) National Historical cohort.
• Included non-Indigenous individuals aged 65-105 years accessing long-term home care via a Home Care Package (2012-2019).
• Logistic regression analysis assessed trends, adjusted for age, sex, and dementia status; geographic variation was mapped.

Main Results:

• The proportion of care recipients with an informal carer decreased from 86% (2012) to 78% (2019), an adjusted odds ratio of 0.95.
• This decline was more significant in females (OR: 0.96) and individuals without dementia (OR: 0.95).
• Substantial geographic variation in informal care prevalence was observed nationally, ranging from 60% to 98%.

Conclusions:

• A notable decline in informal care availability occurred for older Australians entering long-term home care between 2012 and 2019.
• Significant national geographic variations in informal care prevalence were identified.
• Reduced informal carer availability is likely to increase demand for formal aged care services.