This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Kent, R. M Articles by Barnes, M. P Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kent, R. M Articles by Barnes, M. P Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

An epidemiological survey of the health needs of disabled people in a rural community

Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Research Unit, University of Leeds, Leeds

Barbara J Chandler

Michael P Barnes

Academic Department of Neurological Rehabilitation, Hunters Moor Regional Rehabilitation Centre, Newcastle, UK

Objective:To describe service use and unmet needs of disabled people in a rural environment, given well-recognized difficulties in providing equitable services to a widely-spread population, availability of transport and the presence of discrepancies in wealth.

Participants: Disabled people registered with a single rural general practice, identified by postal questionnaire.

Method: All 3462 households were screened using the Office of Population, Censuses and Surveys (OPCS) disability screening questionnaire. An 86% response rate was achieved. Seventy-four people aged 16–65 and 69 people aged 66–75 were interviewed by a rehabilitation physician. Fifty-five people aged 76+ were interviewed. Disability was assessed using the OPCS scales of disability, Barthel Index, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

Results: Thirty per cent (43) of those aged 16–75 received assistance for their personal activities of daily living (ADLs), and 98% (140) required assistance for extended ADLs (taken from the OPCS surveys criteria). There was no difference in either disability or dependency by age group. Fifty-three per cent of this group had domestic adaptations, 75% had disability aids. Those aged 16–75 had significantly fewer aids and adaptations, less home care, care management, respite, district nursing and chiropody services than people over 75. Equipment was provided by statutory services less frequently and fewer carers were salaried. The rehabilitation physician assessed them as needing more occupational therapy, physiotherapy and chiropody. Thirty per cent saw their GP monthly and 45% attended hospital.

Conclusion: Unmet need was assessed as greater in the younger group. Elderly people are possibly more visible to service providers with better recognition of need. There is no evidence of a relationship between medical surveillance and identification of rehabilitation needs. Those with greater degrees of disability require more interlinked and organized services.

Clinical Rehabilitation, Vol. 14, No. 5, 481-490 (2000)
DOI: 10.1191/0269215500cr350oa


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?