easy care study among elderly in kosovo

EASY Care study among elderly in Kosovo

Naim Jerliu, MD, MPH

National Institute of Public Health of Kosovo National Institute of Public Health of Kosovo

A transitional country in Western Balkans Declaration of Independence 2008

Kosovo in context

• Population in total, 1.733.872 (2011 census, preliminary)• Life expectancy: 75 years(2003 est.) • Age distribution, total • 0-14 years 28 %• 15-64 years 65 %• 65 and older 7 %

Kosovo in context

Median age (2011 est.) -total: 26.7 years -male: 26.3 years -female: 27.2 years• Unemployment, around 45%• Kosovo's citizens are the poorest in Europe with 30% of population below poverty line

(2010 est.)• Most of Kosovo's population lives in rural

settlements

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html#2046

Legislation and policies on elderly• No policy on elderly• No institutional care • Law on Basic Pensions guarantees

financial benefits for virtually every Kosovo citizen reaching the age of 65 years

• Amount of monthly pension =45 Euro• Law on Health• Full coverage of health care in publicly

owned health institutions for people 65 years +

Aim of the EASY-Care study

• To assess the health status of elderly people in Kosovo undergoing a difficult period of political and socioeconomic changes.

Department of International Health 8

Methods:

• A nationwide population-based survey• Kosovo in January-March 2011 • Age-sex and-residence stratified

random sample of 1,890 individuals aged 65 years and over.

• 83.5% response rate


Methods:

• EASY Care Instrument was used to assess the self-perceived health status.

• Furthermore, a comprehensive questionnaire, tapping socio-demographic and socioeconomic aspects of elderly people, was employed.


Translation and adaptation of the EASY-Care instrument

• Translation and preliminary adaptation in Albanian-speaking settings namely Albania and Kosovo (country/culture).

• Translation/ Back-translation • Discrepancies between the original and

back-translated versions were reconciled• Alterations/amendments were incorporated

accordingly in the final version of the questionnaire (in Albanian).


Pre-testing and cognitive interviewing

• The EASY-Care instrument was initially pre-tested using a community-based (convenient) sample of elderly people (60+ years):– Kosovo: N=20– Albania: N=18


Incorporating additional (socioeconomic) aspects to the EASY-Care assessment


Results


General characteristics of the sampleGender


Age


Place of residence


Marital status


Living arrangements


Education


Adequacy of monthly pension to meet monthly needs


Adequacy of family finances to meet monthly needs


Health status Chronic conditions


Can you see?

Can not see at all1.1%

With difficulty

50.2%

Yes48.7%

Seeing, hearing and communicating


53.3%45.9%

0.8%

44.8%53.8%

1.4%0.0%

10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%70.0%80.0%

Male Female

Can you see? - by sex

Yes

With difficulty

Can not see at all

P=0.001



Based on “need for care and support” summary scores and on the present cut-off points, it can be concluded that 18% and 8% of participants are in moderate and high need for care and support, respectively

Can you use the telephone?

Unable to use telephone

20.7%

With some help

38.3%

Without help40.9%



49.6%

34.1%

16.3%28.6%

46.9%

24.6%

0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%70.0%80.0%

Male Female

Can you use the telephone? - by sexWithout help

With some help

Unable to use thetelephone

P<0.001



Based on “risk of hospital admission” summary scores and on the present cut-off points, it can be concluded that 24% and 8% of participants are in moderate and high risk of hospital admission, respectively

Can you prepare your own meals?

Unable to prepare meals39.1%

With some help

34.1%

Without help26.8%

Looking after yourself


25.9%32.5%

41.6%

27.6%35.6%36.8%

0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%70.0%80.0%

Male Female

Can you prepare your own meals? - by sexWithout help

With some help

Unable to prepareown meals

P=0.100



Can you take your own medicine?

Unable to take

medicine6.1%

With some help

41.4%

Without help52.5%



62.9%

31.6%

5.4%

43.4%49.7%

6.8%

0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%70.0%80.0%

Male Female

Can you take your own medicine? - by sexWithout help

With some help

Unable to takemedicine

P<0.001



Can you do your housework?

Unable to do any

housework36.8%

With some help

36.2%

Without help27.0%



30.7%37.4%

31.9%

23.9%

35.1%41.0%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

Male Female

Can you do your housework? - by sex

Without help

With some help

Unable to do anyhousework

P<0.001



Any falls in the last 12 months?

>=28.6%

One14.8%

None76.6%

Getting around


82.5%

11.5%6.0%

71.4%

17.7%10.9%

0.0%

20.0%

40.0%

60.0%

80.0%

100.0%

Male Female

Any falls in the last 12 months? - by sex

NoneOne>=2

P=0.002

Getting around


Conclusions

• These preliminary results from Kosovo indicate that EASY Care Instrument could be an appropriate tool for discriminating among elderly with high and/or special needs also in transitional countries of Southeast Europe.

THANK YOU!

FALEMINDERIT! (Albanian version)

easy care study among elderly in kosovo

Documents

perceived health status

owned health institutions

kosovo countryculture

kosovo citizen

years male

years female

adequacy of monthly

easy care instrument