What is the best care for community-dwelling dependent adults? Sources of care and perception of unmet needs in Spain

Abstract

The objectives of this study in the Spanish context are: (1) to identify what source of care (informal, private or public care) achieves the lowest perception of unmet needs amongst dependent adults and (2) to identify which factors are associated with a greater perception of unmet needs within each source of care. This research is based on a sample of 4,766 dependent adults who completed the 2008 Survey on Disability, Personal Autonomy and Dependency Situations (EDAD). Dependent adults who received only paid care were less likely to perceive unmet needs compared to those who received other types of care. Dependents who received public care were more likely to perceive unmet needs. Perception of unmet needs is related to the characteristics of the dependent adults, the primary carers and the caregiving context. The results suggest that policy design must not assume that dependent people prefer family care to other types of care and demonstrate that public care is perceived as unsatisfactory.