Authors: | Schmitz, Alina Brandt, Martina |
Title: | Health limitations, regional care infrastructure and wellbeing in later life: a multilevel analysis of 96 European regions |
Language (ISO): | en |
Abstract: | Background: In light of rapid population ageing across Europe, maintaining a high level of wellbeing in old age is a priority for social policy. Research on macro-level influences on wellbeing in the older population is rare, especially regarding heterogeneous effects within different groups, such as persons with and without health limitations. Objective: The purpose of this study is to shed light on the following questions: Is the regional availability of care infrastructure crucial for the wellbeing in later life? If so, does the relevance of care infrastructure differ depending on an individual’s health status? Methods: Data were drawn from wave 6 of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) matched with data on the number of long-term care (LTC) beds on the regional level. We estimated multilevel regression models, including a cross-level interaction between individual health needs and regional LTC beds. Results: Our analyses show that the number of LTC beds is related to the wellbeing, as measured by overall life satisfaction, in the population aged 50 + years. The association is more pronounced for individuals with health limitations who might be in need of such infrastructure. Conclusions: Communities and local governments should ensure the necessary infrastructure for older individuals in need of care and help across different regions. The availability of formal care services may be perceived a “safety net” and thus improve wellbeing, but future studies need to investigate the underlying mechanisms. |
Subject Headings: | Life satisfaction Long-term care beds Macro-level influences SHARE Old age NUTS-2 |
Subject Headings (RSWK): | Zufriedenheit Bevölkerungsentwicklung Alter Wohlbefinden Medizinische Versorgung Pflege |
URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/2003/42059 http://dx.doi.org/10.17877/DE290R-23892 |
Issue Date: | 2022-07-18 |
Rights link: | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
Appears in Collections: | Sozialstruktur und Soziologie alternder Gesellschaften |
Files in This Item:
File | Description | Size | Format | |
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s11205-022-02967-w.pdf | DNB | 968.35 kB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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