Interrelationships between health, informal support, and formal support among the elderly

2000 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 10410064
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B).
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: 社会学(含社会福祉関係)
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of GERONTOLOGY
• Principal Investigator: SUGISAWA Hidehiro Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Dept. Health Sociology, Senior Researcher, 保健社会学部門, 主任研究員 (60201571)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): YOKOYAMA Hiroko Tsukuba International University, School of Industrial Sociology, Assistant Professor, 産業社会学部, 講師 (90220574) ; YATOMI Naomi Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of GERONTOLOGY, Dept. of Psychiatry, Researcher, 精神医学部門, 研究員 (40133631) ; NAKATANI Yomei Hihon Women's University, School of Human Sociology, Assistant Professor, 人間社会学部, 講師 (00198128) ; KOBAYASHI Erika Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of GERONTOLOGY, Dept. of Social Welfare, Researcher, 社会福祉部門, 研究員 (10311408)
• Project Period (FY): 1998 – 2000
• Keywords: ELDERLY / INFORMAL SUPPORT / DECLINE IN HEALTH / FORMAL SUPPORT

Research Abstract

This project examined interrelationships between health, informal support, and formal support among the elderly. Analyses were based on three kinds of database ; 1) survey of a representative sample of the elderly living in a urban area, 2) survey of primary family caregivers of the frail elderly who had been selected from all residents aged 65 and over, and 3) survey of the elderly who had qualified for community services under the long term care insurance.
1. Contact with children living separately made a significantly positive contribution to service awareness among the elderly with IADL limitations. This is not true for those without IADL limitations. Participation in a community group significantly enhanced awareness, regardless of ADL level. Participation in a community group also had a significant positive impact on awareness among primary family caregivers of the frail elderly. Visits by a community nurse or social worker made a significant positive effect on awareness among those primary caregivers.
2. Although support from friends or neighbors significantly enhanced intent to use community services for promotion of social participation among the elderly, support from family members or relatives did not have a such effect.
3. Informational support from professionals made a significantly negative contribution to intent to be admitted the frail elderly into a nursing home among their family caregivers. Both of informal instrumental support and formal instrumental support did not have a such negative impact.
4. Informal instrumental support was not related to underutilization of community services among the the elderly who had qualified for community services. Consciousness of traditional family care showed a significant positive impact on underutilization.