Unmet Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Care Needs and Associated Risk Factors Among Older Adults with Dementia at the End of Life

Swearinger H., Con Wright G.

JOURNAL OF GERONTOLOGICAL SOCIAL WORK, vol.0, no.0, pp.1-18, 2025 (SSCI)

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 0 Issue: 0
  • Publication Date: 2025
  • Doi Number: 10.1080/01634372.2025.2474584
  • Journal Name: JOURNAL OF GERONTOLOGICAL SOCIAL WORK
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, ASSIA, IBZ Online, Abstracts in Social Gerontology, AgeLine, CINAHL, Psycinfo, Public Affairs Index, Social services abstracts, Sociological abstracts
  • Page Numbers: pp.1-18
  • TED University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

This paper examined the prevalence of and risk factors associated with unmet needs for activities of daily living (ADL) for older adults dying with dementia. We focused on a sample of 632 older adults in the National Health and Aging Trends Study. Employing Andersen’s behavioral model of health, we investigated the association of predisposing, enabling, and need factors and found that older age, using hospice, receiving residential care, and severity of ADL disability were associated with fewer unmet care needs. This study emphasizes the timing of end-of-life care preferences and the quality of care services for older adults with dementia.