The Interplay Between Health and Age Determines Home Care Types. Findings from a Cross-Sectional Study on Older Adults in Switzerland

Family and professional care providers are essential to allow individuals to remain at home until very old age. However, limited research is available that distinguishes among the multiple domains in which community-dwelling older adults need support. This paper aims to analyse the interplay of health and age in shaping the probability of receiving specific types of care. Analysis is based on a subsample of people aged 65 and older who participated in the Swiss Vivre/Leben/Vivere survey ( N = 2916). We ran a series of logistic regression models to analyze the association of health status (i.e., independent, frail, dependent) and age with types of help (i.e., help with household tasks, help with daily life activities, other instrumental help, non-instrumental help), controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and social contacts. Then, we focused on how the effect of health on the probability of receiving help varies by age. Findings show that health, particularly frailty, strongly explains home care receipt. However, its effect changes with age, depending on the nature of care and provider (i.e., formal vs. informal). For instance, health status varies among older individuals receiving formal help with daily life activities, compared to what happen among younger ones. Furthermore, when this help comes from family, the impact of health is larger among younger than among older. Looking at the interplay between health and age helps to better understand the dynamics behind the receipt of home care among older adults. Research in this area will gain more clarity by distinguishing between the different areas and providers of care.