Older persons' preferences for long-term care and associated factors: Evidence from Sri Lanka

• Main Authors: Liu, Yan, Priyadarshani, Neelawala G.W., Delpitiya, Ninansala Y., Tsuneta, Miwa, Jayasinghe, Chandrika, Jayasinghe, Ananda, Darmarathne, Samath D., Obayashi, Yoshihide, Lee, Romeo B., Arai, Asuna, Tamashiro, Hiko
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2013
• Subjects: Older people—Long-term care—Sri Lanka; Older people—Care—Sri Lanka; Gerontology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/7968
• Institution: De La Salle University

Sri Lanka's life expectancy and number of older persons continue to grow apace, which have enormous implications for the long-term care of the elderly. Currently, older persons are cared for by their families and friends, but these traditional sources are weakening. The government of Sri Lanka needs to take on the challenge of caring for its older persons. This cross-sectional study determined the preferences of older persons for long-term care and the factors associated with such preferences. A total of 364 older persons at a government hospital in Kandy, Sri Lanka were Interviewed about their socio-demographic characteristics, family support, perceived social support, health status, access to health resources, and preferences for long-term care. Data were analyzed using chi-square and multivariate logistic regression. Of the 364 respondents, 44.2% were men and 55.8% were women. Roughly two-thirds were 60-69 years old. Most were Sinhalese and Buddhists and were married. About 6 every 10 had at least 6 years of formal education. Respondents had a low or high level of family support and of perceived social support. Most were physically dependent and lived in communities near a hospital. Most preferred their children as caregivers. Majority reported having considered their future long-term care; however, 8 of every 10 of them were not willing to access formal sources. Respondents' consideration of long-term care was statistically significantly associated with being self-caregivers themselves and being physically dependent. Respondents' willingness to use the formal long-term care services was statistically significantly related with having a low level of family support, a depressive status, and living in an area without a hospital nearby. Overall, respondents' preferences for long-term and facility-based care are unclear because most of their perspectives were still very much anchored on the traditional support system.