Table 1.
Socio-demographic and health characteristics of the sample of service users (N = 228).
| N | M (SD) | n | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socio-demographic characteristics | ||||
| Sex: female | 228 | 153 | 67.1 | |
| Age (in years): | 228 | |||
| – 65–74 years | 53 | 23.2 | ||
| – 75–84 years | 95 | 41.7 | ||
| – 85 years and older | 79 | 34.6 | ||
| – Unknown | 1 | 0.4 | ||
| Education (completed): | 228 | |||
| – No schooling/primary school | 107 | 46.9 | ||
| – Secondary school | 48 | 21.1 | ||
| – Advanced vocational training | 48 | 21.1 | ||
| – High professional/academic education | 22 | 9.6 | ||
| – Unknown | 3 | 1.3 | ||
| Living situation: | 228 | |||
| – Living at home, alone | 118 | 51.8 | ||
| – Living at home, with spouse/partner | 65 | 28.5 | ||
| – Living at home, with family member(s) | 20 | 8.8 | ||
| – Living at home, with paid carer | 2 | 0.9 | ||
| – Assessed living/sheltered home | 4 | 1.8 | ||
| – Nursing or residential home for older persons | 18 | 7.9 | ||
| – Unknown | 1 | 0.4 | ||
| Marital status: | 228 | |||
| – Married/cohabiting | 78 | 34.2 | ||
| – Divorced | 26 | 11.4 | ||
| – Widowed | 105 | 46.1 | ||
| – Single | 16 | 7.0 | ||
| – Unknown | 2 | 0.9 | ||
| Health related characteristics (self-reported)* | ||||
| Hearing problems: | 226 | 92 | 40.7 | |
| Visual problems: | 226 | 93 | 41.2 | |
| Cognitive impairments: | 225 | 26 | 11.6 | |
| Mental health problems: | 225 | 71 | 31.6 | |
| Number of chronic conditions**: | 228 | 5.23 (2.47) | ||
| – None | 3 | 1.3 | ||
| – One to three | 60 | 26.3 | ||
| – Four to six | 101 | 44.3 | ||
| – Seven or more | 64 | 28.1 | ||
| – Multi-morbid (2 or more chronic conditions***) | 217 | 95.2 | ||
* The four categories of health characteristics were created from the list of eighteen individual health conditions collected with the demographic/health data sheet: hearing problems, visual problems, cognitive impairment (dementia including Alzheimers, loss of memory, traumatic brain injury, alone or in combination), and mental health problems (anxiety, panic disorders, depression, schizophrenia, alone or in combination).
** Variable based on a count of conditions indicated to be present.
*** Multi-morbidity is calculated here as having two or more of the following conditions: hearing problems, problems with vision, dementia including Alzheimers, loss of memory, traumatic brain injury, anxiety – panic disorders, depression, breathing problems (asthma, chronic bronchitis, lung emphysema, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), cancer, diabetes, dizziness with falling, heart failure, stroke-cerebral haemorrhage, prostate symptoms, urine incontinence, broken hip, other broken bones, osteoarthritis, loss of bone tissue – osteoporosis, persistent back pain.