From Curing to Caring: Exploring social care needs after the onset of chronic conditions among European older adults (50+)

Background and Objectives Population aging affects health and social care needs. While 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 (SHARE), 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.