The healthy aged: Descriptive analysis by sex of cognitively functioning elderly patients 80 years and older living independently in the community.
OBJECTIVE
To describe a population of cognitively functioning seniors aged 80 years and older who are livingin dependently in the community.


METHODS
Descriptive cross-sectional study based on the enrolment cohort of a randomized controlled trial.


METHODS
St John's, Nfld.


METHODS
A total of 236 cognitively functioning seniors aged 80 years and older living independently in the community.


METHODS
Demographic characteristics including age, sex, marital status, and education; health status and quality of life measured by the Short Form-36 and the CASP-19 (control, autonomy, self-realization,and pleasure); use of formal and informal community services;satisfaction with family physician care as measured by the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire-18; and use of health care resources (family physician visits, emergency department visits,hospitalizations, and laboratory and diagnostic imaging tests).


RESULTS
Overall, 66.5% of those in the group were women and the average age was 85.5 years. A quarter had postsecondary diplomas or degrees; 54.7% were widowed (69.4% of women and 25.3% of men). The cohort scored well in terms of health status and quality of life, with a range of scores on the Short Form–36 from 57.5 to 93.5 out of 100, and a score of 44 out of 57 on the CASP-19; they were satisfied with the care received from family physicians, with scores between 3.8 and 4.3 out of 5 on the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire-18; and use of health services was low-70% had no emergency department visits in the previous year and 80% had not used any laboratory or diagnostic services.


CONCLUSIONS
Seniors aged 80 years and older living in dependently are involved in the social fabric of society. They are generally well educated, slightly more than half are widowed,and two-thirds are female. They score well on scales that measure well-being and quality of life, and they use few health services. They are the healthy aged.


BACKGROUND
NCT00452465 (ClinicalTrials.gov).
Marshall
M
Godwin
Andrea
A
Pike
Farah
F
McCrate
Karen
K
Parsons
Wanda
W
Parsons
Heather
H
Pitcher
Sharon
S
Buehler
Veeresh
V
Gadag
Robert
R
Miller
Anne
A
Sclater
D017677:Age Distribution; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003071:Cognition; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D064368:Healthy Volunteers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D057181:Pleasure; D011788:Quality of Life; D012649:Self Concept; D012744:Sex Ratio; D012946:Social Welfare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires