Multidimensional Disability Evaluation and Confirmatory Analysis of Older Adults in a Home-Based Community in China

Abstract

A robust multi-dimensional disability assessment standard was constructed to consider physical condition, care resources, and social interaction that might lead to disability, to provide a basis for accurate identification of care needs for older people aged 60 and above in a home-based community. Based on the “Capability approach” theory, the Alkire-Foster method was applied to assess the multidimensional disability. This was followed by the confirmatory analysis of the Seemingly Unrelated Regression Estimation. Adjusted Bourguignon and Chakravarty index was also calculated to analyze the sensitivity to further support our conclusions. We constructed a multi-dimensional disability indicator system by combining physical condition, care resources, and social interaction. Findings presented that the impairment of individuals' motor ability, ability to manage disease, cognitive psychology, and communication skills and social interaction contributed to multidimensional disability the most. And older people who are female, aged over 65, with lower BMI, living in rural areas, with a lower education level, getting more formal care, and with relatively higher creatinine, tend to face a higher risk of deprivation in overall multidimensional disability. Therefore, the targeted interventions to improve health literacy, nutrition, skill of disease management, social networks, and communication skills for older people and also timely detection of the abnormal changes in potential biomarker indicators of them is necessary to delay disability and prevent its occurrence.

Coping target checklist for home‐based older adults living with disabilities and their spousal caregivers

“…The caregiving capacity of family members is a crucial determinant in the provision of care for disabled older individuals (Low et al., 2017), highlighting the need to enhance the health literacy level among spousal caregivers (Han et al., 2022). Therefore, it is imperative to prioritize caregiver training programs aimed at improving their caregiving abilities.…”

“…Disability is a complex and long-term state with interpersonal implications for intimate relationships, leading to common distress among older adults living with disabilities and their spouses (Bertschi et al, 2021). Current research on coping with stress has shifted towards a patient-caregiver dyadic approach, where they respond to stress as a unit (Han et al, 2022) Based on existing research, we have identified that adopting a holistic approach to address the stress experienced and implementing joint interventions can enhance their coping mechanisms (Buck et al, 2018;Terrill et al, 2022;Tiete et al, 2021). Keefe et al (2004) conducted a study that enhanced two existing pain-coping programs for, demonstrating the efficacy of spousal-assisted pain-coping training in improving couples' coping abilities and self-efficacy.…”

“…This approach allows for the provision of personalized care and support to individuals in the comfort of their own homes, promoting independence and enabling them to maintain their quality of life. As such, community‐based home care is an important strategy for addressing the needs of this growing population and ensuring that they receive the care they require (Han et al., 2022). The majority of older adults living with disabilities choose to reside in their own homes, and those who are married are primarily cared for by their spouses.…”

“…Disability is a complex and long‐term state with interpersonal implications for intimate relationships, leading to common distress among older adults living with disabilities and their spouses (Bertschi et al., 2021). Current research on coping with stress has shifted towards a patient‐caregiver dyadic approach, where they respond to stress as a unit (Han et al., 2022). Since the concept of Dyadic Coping Theory has gained recognition among scholars, researchers from various countries or regions have proposed several theoretical models related to this concept.…”

The Essence and Role of Nurses in the Future of Biomedical and Health Informatics

“…Systematic evaluation of the living and environmental conditions determines what type of care should be provided by whom. [32].…”