A Conceptual Framework For Identifying Unmet Health Care Needs of Community Dwelling Elderly

Abstract

Assessing the unmet health care needs that affect the quality of life of older persons is an important task facing both aging services agencies and health departments. This article reviews various strategies for assessing unmet health care needs and a presents comprehensive framework for assessing such needs. Needs for health services are categorized by their function, such as basic maintenance, supportive, rehabilitative, treatment, promotive, and preventive needs. Factors contributing to unmet needs are categorized by the types of barriers to using existing services. These barriers include recognition or awareness of need, knowledge about services, and availability, accessibility, affordability, and acceptability of services. Means of data collection for different types of unmet health care needs are presented. Recommendations for using the proposed framework are made to both health departments and aging services agencies.