Life satisfaction and health self-assessment of older adults assisted through home care

Abstract

Objective: to identify sociodemographic and health characteristics according to age groups and to analyze the association between self-assessed health status and satisfaction with regular/bad life with sociodemographic characteristics, global functioning and falls of older adults linked to home care within the primary health care network. Method: cross-sectional study with 124 older adults, conducted using home interviews. A sociodemographic data and health status questionnaire was used, together with Barthel Index, Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (IADL), the Mini-Mental State Examination, the Geriatric Depression Scale and the Timed Up and Go Test. Bivariate and multivariate analyses (Poisson regression) were applied. Results: there was a predominance of female octogenarians. Self-assessment of regular/bad health was associated with mild (p=0.002) and severe (p<0.001) depressive symptoms. Satisfaction with regular/bad life was associated with fear of falling (p=0.019) and with mild (p<0.001) and severe (p<0.001) depressive symptoms. Conclusion: depressive symptoms were associated with a worse life satisfaction and health self-assessment.