Indicators and Models Assessing the Relationship Between Ageing, Severe Disability and Socio-Economic Deprivation

Background and aims: a previous pilot study on the Italian context has verified the existence of a significant relationship between the presence of a familial situation of severe disability and increased risk of poverty in people aged 65+ years and produced a model for measuring such risk at aggregate level, identifying the factors that determine the relationship between ageing, severe disability and socioeconomic deprivation. The aim of this paper is to develop similar models at individual level, using specific indicators available in database of the social and health sector, in order to contribute to the planning of local services at different geographic and administrative levels.

Materials and methods: the variables in the model proposed by the pilot study have been reviewed on the basis of the individual data available in the information systems of the local actors. They have been used for defining evaluation models based on the characteristics of the individuals, with the same techniques used in the pilot study. As a case study the municipality of Genoa, whose population is among the oldest in Europe, has been taken into account.

Results and discussion: The passage from regions to  individuals in a large municipality confirms the validity of the model for people 65+ years old. ADL disabilities are the main disability dimension with highest association with the worsening of the SE condition, also due to the effect on the social relations dimension. The public strategies seem to better protect individuals and families, with the help of the informal network of support for the family care. The indicators in the models could be very useful for the Social Services, in order to develop tools for better addressing policies and intervention at local and national level. Moreover, this work could extended wherever these kind of data are routinely collected.