Health-care screening among the elderly--a comparison between participants and non-participants

Geriatric screening at health clinics has become a regular feature of the health-care services offered in some Norwegian municipalities. Normally there is good participation in such screening programmes, but there are always some non-attenders. There is little published material showing the intervention needs among non-respondents. In a municipality in the middle parts of Norway, screening was offered to the municipality's elderly inhabitants at the local health clinic. Those who did not attend were offered a domiciliary visit. The findings indicate that there is a category of people among those who do not attend for screening at the health clinic who have less need of a medical examination and socioeconomic support than those who do attend the screening. There is also a category in need of community nursing, technical aids and health care because of senile dementia, depression and unsought social isolation.