[Usage conditions and intentions to use monitoring services for the elderly living alone].
OBJECTIVE
To examine the usage conditions and intentions to use monitoring services for independent living by the elderly living alone.


METHODS
A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a mail-in, self-administered questionnaire in September 2011. The target population comprised 2,569 elderly people living in Ota Ward, Tokyo. The data of individuals living alone were extracted from the data of all respondents. The response rate was 67.8%. The sample consisted of 1,095 elderly people living alone. Logistic regression analyses were conducted with the usage conditions and intention to use monitoring services set as dependent variables. The factors related to the usage conditions and the intention to use monitoring services were examined. Gender, age, medical histories, existence of children living in the neighborhood, advanced activities of daily living, frequency of going outdoors, social relations, economic status, education, and mental factors were set as independent variables.


RESULTS
The monitoring services used to facilitate independent living included the following: emergency communication service = 124 (11.3%), information registration service = 197 (18.0%), monitoring by people = 113 (10.3%), and monitoring by sensor = 51 (4.7%). The number of respondents who indicated their intention to use monitoring services included the following: emergency communication service = 525 (47.9% of the entire sample, 81.4% of non-users), information registration service = 396 (36.2% of the entire sample, 75.1% of non-users), monitoring by people = 357 (32.6% of the entire sample, 60.0% of non-users), monitoring by sensor = 335 (30.6% of the entire sample, 53.1% of non-users). The respondents' ages and medical histories were related to the usage of monitoring services. Their level of anxiety was related to the intention to use monitoring services.


CONCLUSIONS
Usage and intention to use services was greater in conditions in which the elderly needed help to cope with emergent situations than usage and intention to use services that monitored daily life. The elderly who were aware of their need tended to use monitoring services. A future challenge is to expand the use of monitoring services to foster independent living of the elderly living alone.
Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology.
Takashi
T
Koike
Taro
T
Fukaya
Kumiko
K
Nonaka
Erika
E
Kobayashi
Mariko
M
Nishi
Yoh
Y
Murayama
Reiko
R
Watanabe
Shoji
S
Shinkai
Yoshinori
Y
Fujiwara
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living; D008297:Male; D014041:Tokyo