Exploring the economic and social effects of care dependence in later life: protocol for the 10/66 research group INDEP study
This study focuses on Peru, Mexico, China and Nigeria
Abstract
In low or middle income countries chronic diseases are rapidly becoming the main cause of disease burden. However, the main focus of health policymakers has been on preventing death from cancer and heart disease, with very little attention to the growing problem of long-term needs for care (dependence). Numbers of dependent older people are set to quadruple by 2050. The economic impact of providing long-term care is likely to be substantial.
The study uses mixed methods and draws on and extends the population-based surveys conducted by the 10/66 Dementia Research Group. It focuses on two countries in Latin America (Peru and Mexico), China and Nigeria. The surveys comprised baseline surveys of health, socioeconomic circumstances and care arrangements, repeated three to four years later. The study team are going back to these households to make a detailed assessment of the overall economic status and the use of health services by all family members. They will compare households where: (a) an older resident became dependent between baseline and follow-up (incident care), (b) one or more older people were dependent at both time points (chronic care), (b) (c) no older residents had needs for care (control households) for household income, consumption, healthcare expenditure and economic strain. In each of the four countries they are carrying out six detailed household ‘case studies’ to explore in more depth the economic impacts of dependence, and the social relations between household members and others in their network.
Citation
Mayston, R.; Guerra, M.; Huang, Y.; Sosa, A.L.; Uwakwe, R.; Acosta, I.; Ezeah, P.; Gallardo, S.; Montes de Oca, V.; Hong Wang.: Guerchet, M.; Zhaorui Liu.; Sanchez, M.; Lloyd-Sherlock , Prince, M.J. Exploring the economic and social effects of care dependence in later life: protocol for the 10/66 research group INDEP study. SpringerPlus (2014) 3 (1) 379. [DOI: 10.1186/2193-1801-3-379]