Characteristics of utban elderly care recepients in Singapore, China and Indonesia

Using large datasets on elderly care in Singapore, China and Indonesia, this paper will describe and compare the char­acteristics of elderly care recipients in an urban setting. The datasets used are the Singapore Informal Caregiver Survey 2011, the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey 2008 and the Indonesia Family Life Survey 2007. The minimum individual age covered in the Singapore and China datasets is age 75 and individuals observed have at least 1 ADL limi­tation. The minimum individual age covered in the Indonesia dataset is age 60 and individuals observed have at least 1 ADL limitation. We describe the demographics, living arrangements, physical health, self-rated health, health and social care utilization; and socio-economic status of the elderly care recipients and their care givers. Given the different levels of economic growth, institutional contexts and the extent of healthcare in each country, we will explain for the different patterns of care that the elderly receive. “新加坡、中国及印尼的长者护理服务使用者特色分析” 摘要 此论文运用大量来自新加坡、中国和印度尼西亚的长者护理数据，去描绘和比较城市长者护理服务使用者的特色。文中使用的数据来自2011年新加坡民间护理提供者调查、2008年中国老人健康长寿影响因素研究调查，以及2007年印度尼西亚家庭寿命调查。在新加坡和中国的数据中，研究对象的最低年龄为75岁，并最少一项日常生活活动能力受限制。在印度尼西亚的数据中，研究对象的最低年龄为60岁，并最少一项日常生活活动能力受限制。文中会描述研究对象的人口特征、生活安排、生理健康、自测健康、社会医疗健保的使用，以及长者护理使用者和其护理提供者的社会经济状况。文中会根据各国经济增长的差异、制度的不同，及保健护理的适用范围，解释不同的长者护理服务模式

Families, Friends, and the Neighborhood of Older Adults: Evidence from Public Housing in Singapore

Introduction. This empirical paper examines how the Housing Development Board (HDB) public housing neighborhood influences older urban Singaporeans' social interactions and ameliorates social isolation. Methods. Using 4,542 observations of noninstitutionalized urban adults aged 60 and above, ordered logistic regressions are run to determine the predictors of isolation while controlling for physical health and demographics. Results. 87% of older Singaporeans reside in public housing apartments while 13% reside in private market housing. The main predictor of social isolation is living alone and the second main predictor is coresidence with adult children. The relationship between coresidence with adult children and isolation is mediated when controlling for older adult functional limitations. The public apartment neighborhood and daily participation in public neighborhood events have substantial effects on reducing the risk of isolation. Older adult contact with friends alleviates isolation more than contact with non-coresiding relatives. Conclusion. Findings suggest that the public neighborhood-built environment in Singapore plays a positive role in the social interactions of the elderly. Knowledge of the factors that decrease the risk of social isolation will have implications for studying morbidity and mortality among the elderly

The theoretical and empirical basis of a BioPsychoSocial (BPS) risk screener for detection of older people's health related needs, planning of community programs, and targeted care interventions

Background This study introduces the conceptual basis and operational measure, ofBioPyschoSocial (BPS) healthand related risk to better understand how well older people are managing and to screen for risk status. The BPS Risk Screener is constructed to detectvulnerabilityat older ages, and seeks to measure dynamic processes that place equal emphasis on Psycho-emotional and Socio-interpersonal risks, as Bio-functional ones. We validate the proposed measure and describe its application to programming. Methods We undertook a quantitative cross-sectional, psychometric study withn = 1325 older Singaporeans, aged 60 and over. We adapted the EASYCare 2010 and Lubben Social Network Scale questionnaires to help determine the BPS domains using factor analysis from which we derive the BPS Risk Screener items. We then confirm its structure, and test the scoring system. The score is initially validated against self-reported general health then modelled against: number of falls; cognitive impairment; longstanding diseases; and further tested against service utilization (linked administrative data). Results Three B, P and S clusters are defined and identified and a BPSmanaging score(‘doing’ well, or ‘some’, ‘many’, and ‘overwhelming problems’) calculated such that the risk of problematic additive BPS effects, what we term health‘loads’, are accounted for. Thirty-five items (factor loadings over 0.5) clustered into three distinct B, P, S domains and were found to be independently associated with self-reported health: B: 1.99 (1.64 to 2.41), P: 1.59 (1.28 to 1.98), S: 1.33 (1.10 to 1.60). The fit improved when combined into the managing score 2.33 (1.92 to 2.83, < 0.01). The score was associated with mounting risk for all outcomes. Conclusions BPS domain structures, and the novel scoring system capturing dynamic BPS additive effects, which can combine to engender vulnerability, are validated through this analysis. The resulting tool helps render clients’ risk status and related intervention needs transparent. Given its explicit and empirically supported attention to P and S risks, which have the potential to be more malleable than B ones, especially in the older old, this tool is designed to be change sensitive

Families, Friends, and the Neighborhood of Older Adults: Evidence from Public Housing in Singapore

Introduction. This empirical paper examines how the Housing Development Board (HDB) public housing neighborhood influences older urban Singaporeans&apos; social interactions and ameliorates social isolation. Methods. Using 4,542 observations of noninstitutionalized urban adults aged 60 and above, ordered logistic regressions are run to determine the predictors of isolation while controlling for physical health and demographics. Results. 87% of older Singaporeans reside in public housing apartments while 13% reside in private market housing. The main predictor of social isolation is living alone and the second main predictor is coresidence with adult children. The relationship between coresidence with adult children and isolation is mediated when controlling for older adult functional limitations. The public apartment neighborhood and daily participation in public neighborhood events have substantial effects on reducing the risk of isolation. Older adult contact with friends alleviates isolation more than contact with non-coresiding relatives. Conclusion. Findings suggest that the public neighborhood-built environment in Singapore plays a positive role in the social interactions of the elderly. Knowledge of the factors that decrease the risk of social isolation will have implications for studying morbidity and mortality among the elderly