Unmet needs for supportive services: A comparison of rural and urban older adults

This study examined residence differences in unmet needs for seven commonly used supportive services including respite/adult day care, personal care, homemaker, home-delivered/congregate meals, transportation, home modification, and assistive devices services. Data were extracted from the 1999 National Long-Term Care Survey and included 848 caregivers of an adult who was over 65 years old, was community dwelling, and used one or more supportive services. Over one-third of caregivers reported that supportive services provided did not meet the needs of old adults. The prevalence rate of unmet needs differs across the seven supportive services. Using multivariate logistic regression tests, rural versus urban differences in unmet needs were found for personal care, homemaker, and assistive devices services. Rural older adults were less likely to experience unmet needs for these services than their urban counterparts.