title: Support and information needs of older and disabled older people in the UK.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the support and information needs of older and disabled older people in the UK. Following an initial literature survey, an examination of data on enquiries made by older people to information providers, and a series of focus groups, a questionnaire was developed for a nationwide survey. Over 1630 questionnaires were completed by disabled older clients of Day Care Centres and less frail older members of social clubs. Findings showed that there is a serious shortfall in the number of older people getting the practical support that they need, and the information that enables access to this support, compared to the number that actually need help. Substantial percentages of the survey respondents experienced difficulty with everyday tasks and with accessing the information they needed. Implications for formal sources of support and information are discussed.
authors.affiliation: The Research Group for Inclusive Environments, School of Construction Management and Engineering, The University of Reading, Whiteknights, P.O. Box 219, Reading RG6 6AW, UK. j.barrett@reading.ac.uk
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barrett
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D016330:Frail Elderly; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007256:Information Systems / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom