Attitudes and Preparedness of Older Adults for Future Health Care Needs

Background: Many older persons do not make specific plans regarding their future care, or very few do, despite the possibility of health care demands. This is often because they do not see the need for it or choose not to consider the possibility of being dependent on others in their later years. Aim: assess attitudes and preparedness of older adults for future health care needs. Method: A descriptive cross sectional design was used on 243 older adults diagnosed with at least one chronic disease from geriatric outpatient clinics at Mansoura University Main hospital and Specialized Medical Hospital affiliated to Mansoura University. Data were collected using; demographic and health related data structured interview schedule, Preparation for Future Care Needs Attitude Scale and Preparation for Future Care Needs. Results : The mean scores of low usefulness of planning, expectations for care needs and expectations for no care needs that related to the older adults' preparation for future care needs attitudes were (23.74 ± 9.15, 19.23 ± 4.53, and 15.95 ± 4.10) respectively. Also, the total score of preparation for future care needs was (45.75±10.66) and the mean of overall awareness of future care needs and avoidance of care planning were (11.53 ± 3.26 and 5.35± 2.05) respectively. Conclusion: Older adults had moderate positive attitudes about planning future care needs and their awareness of future care needs tends to be high. Avoidance of planning was positively related to both low usefulness of planning and expectation of no care, while, it was negatively related to expectation of care need. Recommendation : To support the notion of care preparation and future care requirements, additional behaviorally based outcome measures must be investigated in future studies.