The role of social connections and support in the use of emergency care among older adults.

Autor: Naseer M; School of Health and Welfare, Dalarna University, Falun, SE 79188, Sweden; Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Tomtebodavägen 18A, Solna, SE 17165, Sweden. Electronic address: mna@du.se., Dahlberg L; School of Health and Welfare, Dalarna University, Falun, SE 79188, Sweden; Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Tomtebodavägen 18A, Solna, SE 17165, Sweden., Ehrenberg A; School of Health and Welfare, Dalarna University, Falun, SE 79188, Sweden., Schön P; Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Tomtebodavägen 18A, Solna, SE 17165, Sweden; Department of Social Work, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SE 10691, Sweden., Calderón-Larrañaga A; Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Tomtebodavägen 18A, Solna, SE 17165, Sweden; Stockholm Gerontology Research Center, Sveavägen 155, SE 11346 Stockholm, Sweden.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Archives of gerontology and geriatrics [Arch Gerontol Geriatr] 2023 Aug; Vol. 111, pp. 105010. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Mar 28.
DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2023.105010
Abstrakt: Objectives: Limited and inconsistent findings have been reported on the link between social connections and support and emergency department (ED) visits in older populations. Moreover, the adequacy of informal care for older adults has rarely been considered. This study explored the associations of social connections, social support, and informal care with ED visits in younger-old (<78 years) and oldest-old (≥78 years) adults.
Methods: This is a prospective cohort study based on community-living adults ≥60 years old participating in the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen (N=3066 at wave 1, 2001-2004; N=1885 at wave 3, 2007-2010; N=1208 at wave 5, 2013-2016). Standardised indexes were developed to measure social connections, social support, and informal care. The outcome variable was hospital-based ED visits within 4 years of the SNAC-K interview. Associations between exposure variables and ED visits were assessed through negative binomial regressions using generalised estimating equations.
Results: Medium (IRR 0.77; 95% CI 0.59-0.99) and high (IRR 0.77; 95% CI 0.56-0.99) levels of social support were negatively associated with ED visits compared to low levels of social support, but only in oldest-old adults. No statistically significant associations were observed between social connections and ED visits. Higher ED visit rates were seen in oldest-old adults with unmet informal care needs, even if the differences did not reach statistical significance.
Conclusions: ED visits were associated with social support levels among adults aged ≥78 years. Public health interventions to mitigate situations of poor social support may improve health outcomes and reduce avoidable ED visits in oldest-old adults.
Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest
(Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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