From curing to caring : exploring social care needs after the onset of chronic conditions among European older adults (50+)
Calderon-Jaramillo, Mariana (Centre d'Estudis Demogràfics)
Rentería, Elisenda (Centre d'Estudis Demogràfics)
Spijker, Jeroen (Centre d'Estudis Demogràfics)
Centre d'Estudis Demogràfics

Date:	2025
Abstract:	Background and Objectives: Population aging affects health and social care needs. Although its effects on healthcare needs have been widely discussed, less has been said about its implications on social care needs, even though the consequences of living with chronic conditions are related to functional decline, disability, dependency, and mobility limitation. This study aims to identify trajectories of healthcare and social care needs after the onset of chronic conditions, as well as to explore through cross-country comparisons how demographic, socioeconomic, living arrangements, and health-related dimensions explain individuals' trajectories. Research Design and Methods: Using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, we analyzed trajectories of 16,718 individuals aged 50 and above from 10 European countries through sequence analysis. Multinomial regression models were fitted to understand the factors that explained these trajectories. Results: This study identified four trajectories after the onset of chronic conditions: (a) "Persistent multimorbidity and social care needs," (b) "Persistent multimorbidity without social care needs," (c) "One chronic condition and social care needs," and (d) "One chronic condition without social care needs and some recoveries. " The models present divergences in individuals' characteristics, including demographic and socioeconomic aspects, as well as differences by country, related to each trajectory. Discussion and Implications: By acknowledging trajectories within health and social care needs, we showed the challenges posed by aging processes, which require tailored-made and person-centered services oriented towards preventing and postponing the onset of chronic conditions as well as dealing with their consequences on individuals' daily lives.
Grants:	Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación PID2023-152779OB-I00 Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación PRE2021-09779 European Commission ERC-2019-COG-864616 Agencia Estatal de Investigación RYC-2013-14851 Agencia Estatal de Investigación RYC2017-22586
Note:	Altres ajuts: CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, i la comunicació pública de l'obra, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. No es permet la creació d'obres derivades.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Sequence analysis ; Morbidity ; SHARE ; Limitations
Published in:	Innovation in aging, Vol. 9 Núm. 8 (September 2025) , ISSN 2399-5300

DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igaf085
PMID: 41199805

14 p, 2.0 MB

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Social and Legal Sciences > Centre for Demographic Studies (CED-CERCA)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles