Care Need, Caregiver Availability, and Care Receipt: Variations Across Countries and Over Time in Three Middle-Income Countries.

Background: Dementia is expected to increase more rapidly in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) than in high-income countries (HIC) in the coming decades. Nevertheless, research on dementia care remains limited for LMIC. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating care needs and care receipt in 3 LMIC: China, Mexico, and India.

Methods: Using harmonized data from the Gateway to Global Aging Data in China, Mexico, and India and focusing on individuals aged 65 and older with cognitive impairment (N = 15 118), we estimated the proportions of care needs related to difficulties with activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living, and care receipt. We then used logistic regressions to examine the association between caregiver availability and informal care receipt.

Results: We observed relatively similar patterns in care need measures across countries and over time. In contrast, the association between caregiver availability and informal care receipt showed some cross-country variations. Generally, living with family members was associated with a higher probability of receiving informal care in China and India. However, for Mexico, this association was only evident for men. Additionally, we found that the magnitude of the association between caregiver availability and informal care receipt varied with the care recipient's gender.

Conclusions: Although living with family members was generally associated with a higher likelihood of receiving informal care in China, Mexico, and India, there are differences in the association between caregiver availability and informal care receipt across countries and over time.