Research project PE/SS/01 (Research action PE)
In order to examine the current and future care required by the chronically dependent elderly, it is necessary to map four aspects of their situation. This means :
- identifying chronically dependent elderly people.
First of all, this involves establishing an operational definition. The next step is to determinate the size of this group, the nature of the chronic condition and of any co-morbidity, the profiles (age, sex, family situation, and social network) of the persons forming this group, and the impact of the chronic condition on the quality of life of the people concerned;
- identify the demand for health care.
This research focuses on the use of principally medical facilities, i.e. the family doctor, the specialist, the hospital, the rehabilitation centre, and medicines;
- determining the costs linked with this demand.
This concerns not only the costs supported by the community but also those supported by the person him/herself and by any relatives;
- predicting developments;
The future trends liable to influence the demand for care concern : ageing of the population in terms of the volume of persons in need, the rise in costs, and the evolution of income.
