A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Care Arrangements of Older People with Limited Physical Abilities Living Alone in Italy

Melchiorre, Maria Gabriella; Quattrini, Sabrina; Lamura, Giovanni; Socci, Marco

doi:10.3390/ijerph182412996

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A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Care Arrangements of Older People with Limited Physical Abilities Living Alone in Italy

Maria Gabriella Melchiorre

Sabrina Quattrini

Giovanni Lamura

and

Marco Socci

Centre for Socio-Economic Research on Ageing, IRCCS INRCA—National Institute of Health and Science on Ageing, 60124 Ancona, Italy

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Academic Editors: Francisco José Tarazona Santabalbina, Fermina Rojo-Pérez, Gloria Fernández-Mayoralas and Diego Sánchez- González

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(24), 12996; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182412996

Received: 12 October 2021 / Revised: 25 November 2021 / Accepted: 6 December 2021 / Published: 9 December 2021

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Friendly Residential Environments for Ageing in Place with Autonomy and Independence)

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Abstract

Older people with limited physical abilities, who live alone without cohabiting family members, need support ageing in place and to perform daily living activities. In this respect, both the available informal and formal care seem crucial. The present study aimed to explore the current role of the care arrangements of older people, especially if they have functional limitations. Qualitative interviews were carried out in 2019 within the “Inclusive ageing in place” (IN-AGE) research project, involving 120 older people who lived at home, alone, or with a private personal care assistant (PCA) in three Italian regions (Lombardy, Marche, and Calabria). A mixed-methods analysis was conducted. Results showed that support networks are still mainly made up of family members, but also of domestic home help (DHH) and PCAs, friends/neighbours, and public services, albeit the latter provide support in a residual way, while the former is not as intensive as it was in the past. Frequency and geographical/living proximity of help play a role, emerging also as a territorial differentiation. The paucity or absence of support, especially from the family, risks compromising the ability of ageing in place. It seems, thus, necessary to innovate and improve, in particular, home services, also through real formal and informal care integration. View Full-Text

Keywords: ageing in place; older people; living alone; limited physical abilities; daily living activities; care arrangements; family; frequency and proximity of help; Italy; mixed-methods

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

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MDPI and ACS Style

Melchiorre, M.G.; Quattrini, S.; Lamura, G.; Socci, M. A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Care Arrangements of Older People with Limited Physical Abilities Living Alone in Italy. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 12996. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182412996

AMA Style

Melchiorre MG, Quattrini S, Lamura G, Socci M. A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Care Arrangements of Older People with Limited Physical Abilities Living Alone in Italy. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(24):12996. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182412996

Chicago/Turabian Style

Melchiorre, Maria G., Sabrina Quattrini, Giovanni Lamura, and Marco Socci. 2021. "A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Care Arrangements of Older People with Limited Physical Abilities Living Alone in Italy" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 24: 12996. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182412996

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A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Care Arrangements of Older People with Limited Physical Abilities Living Alone in Italy

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