Perceived unmet needs for community-based long-term care services among urban older adults: A cross sectional study

Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore the perceived unmet needs for community-based long-term care services among older urban adults in China. We analyzed the cross-sectional data of 5,201 urban community respondents ≥65 years of age from the seventh wave of the 2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). The chi-squared automatic interaction detection technique was used to examine the variables associated with older adults’ unmet needs for four common types of community-based services: personal care, grocery shopping, home visits, and psychological consulting. We found that the majority of the older adults perceived that they needed the four services, but only 9%–27.4% of the respondents reported that their perceived needs were met. There was a high prevalence of unmet community-based service needs (51.3%–55.5%) among urban older adults in China. Factors associated with unmet needs included depression status, ADL (activities of daily living) limitations, self-rated health, number of surviving children, educational attainment, and marital status. The results suggest that policy makers should develop services targeting specific segments of the older population, increasing the adequacy of services provided.