title: Disabled older people's use of health and social care services and their unmet care needs in six European countries.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The national health and social care systems in Europe remain poorly integrated with regard to the care needs of older persons. The present study examined the range of health and social care services used by older people and their unmet care needs, across six European countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Family carers of older people were recruited in six countries via a standard protocol. Those providing care for disabled older people (n = 2629) provided data on the older person's service use over a 6-month period, and their current unmet care needs. An inventory of 21 services common to all six countries was developed. Analyses considered the relationship between older people's service use and unmet care needs across countries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Older people in Greece, Italy and Poland used mostly health-oriented services, used fewer services overall and also demonstrated a higher level of unmet care needs when compared with the other countries. Older people in the United Kingdom, Germany and Sweden used a more balanced profile of socio-medical services. A negative relationship was found between the number of different services used and the number of different areas of unmet care needs across countries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Unmet care needs in older people are particularly high in European countries where social service use is low, and where there is a lack of balance in the use of health and social care services. An expansion of social care services in these countries might be the most effective strategy for reducing unmet needs in disabled older people.
authors: 1 Medical University of Białystok, Department of Geriatrics, Poland.
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Bien
authors: Kevin J
authors: KJ
authors: McKee
authors: Hanneli
authors: H
authors: Döhner
authors: Judith
authors: J
authors: Triantafillou
authors: Giovanni
authors: G
authors: Lamura
authors: Halina
authors: H
authors: Doroszkiewicz
authors: Barbro
authors: B
authors: Krevers
authors: Christopher
authors: C
authors: Kofahl
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012947:Social Work / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology