Estimation of Long-Term Care Needs Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Indonesia

Formal long-term care (LTC) services remain underdeveloped in Indonesia despite population aging. In this study, we estimated LTC needs among older adults in Indonesia using multiple functional and cognitive assessment criteria. Data were drawn from the 2023 Indonesia Longitudinal Aging Survey. The analytic sample consisted of 1558 community-dwelling adults aged ≥ 60 years with complete data for activities of daily living (ADLs), instrumental ADLs (IADLs), and cognitive function; proxy interviews were excluded. The percentage of people with defined LTC needs ranged from 1.9% based on the strictest definition of need (≥2 ADL limitations and cognitive impairment) to 71.3% based on the broadest definition of need (≥1 ADL limitation or ≥1 IADL limitation or cognitive impairment). Using the recommended criterion of ≥4 cumulative ADL/IADL limitations or cognitive impairment, 16.6% of older adults were classified as having LTC needs. LTC needs markedly increased with age, with the highest estimates observed among adults aged ≥ 75 years. These results reveal that the applied definition of need strongly shapes national estimates of LTC service needs. The findings support the use of a multidimensional but selective criterion for planning and targeting LTC resources in Indonesia.