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Access to information on home- and community-based services and functional status

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Public Health

Abstract

Objectives

To examine differences in access to home- and community-based service (HCBS) information among older adults of different functional status.

Methods

Cross-sectional survey of 5435 out of 11,000 randomly selected Swiss older community dwellers from the state of Vaud. Analyses stratified by functional status examined characteristics associated with limited access to HCBS information, based on self-reported knowledge on where to find information on 13 HCBS.

Results

Proportionally, more individuals did not know where to look for information in the functionally vulnerable group than in the robust and dependent ones for virtually each service. Among robust individuals, males and persons with low financial status had increased odds of limited access. Low financial status was also negatively associated with access to information among vulnerable people. Belonging to the youngest group increased the odds of limited access for dependent individuals.

Conclusions

Efforts should be made to improve elders’ access to HCBS information by developing specific strategies relevant to each functional status group. Further studies on access to HCBS information should be conducted using complex conceptual frameworks as it has been done for HCBS use.

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Acknowledgements

This work draws upon a survey financed by the Public health service of the Canton of Vaud. The questionnaire was designed in consultation with this institution. No specific funding was received for this analysis. The authors would like to thank all the individuals who participated in the survey. They also wish to express their gratitude to the staff of the Cantonal compensation office of the Canton of Vaud in Clarens for its valuable help with sampling and questionnaire mailing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Aging Studies, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Anne Cattagni Kleiner, Brigitte Santos-Eggimann, Sarah Fustinoni & Laurence Seematter-Bagnoud

  2. Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital, Route de la Corniche 10, Lausanne, 1010, Switzerland

    Anne Cattagni Kleiner, Brigitte Santos-Eggimann, Sarah Fustinoni & Laurence Seematter-Bagnoud

Authors
  1. Anne Cattagni Kleiner
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  2. Brigitte Santos-Eggimann
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  3. Sarah Fustinoni
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  4. Laurence Seematter-Bagnoud
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anne Cattagni Kleiner.

Ethics declarations

According to Swiss Federal Law 118b on human subject research (C.f. http://cer-vd.ch/soumission/premiers-pas.html), this study did not require the approval of an ethics committee, due to the type of data collected and its method of collect. The data collection process was entirely anonymous. The types of questions asked could not bring up any singular information that would make participants identifiable in the data base and the results are presented in an aggregate manner. Participants could freely choose not to participate, no incentives were linked to their participation, and there was no risk associated with taking part in the survey.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare to have no conflict of interest.

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Cattagni Kleiner, A., Santos-Eggimann, B., Fustinoni, S. et al. Access to information on home- and community-based services and functional status. Int J Public Health 63, 273–282 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-017-0990-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-017-0990-5

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