Ageing in the Community: Thomond Parish Cluster

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Ageing in the Community Thomond Parish Cluster

• Main findings of the social study

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Background

• Demographic trends ageing population
• By 2036, 20, 65 years and over (11 at present)
• Increase in oldest old (80 years and older)
• Differences in health
• Poorer people have shorter lives, experience
  worse health and have less access to services
  than those who are more affluent

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What factors affect health?

• Age, gender, education, income
• Neighbourhoods (parishes)
• Accessible essential services
• Community / social facilities and services
• Problems
• Quality of care health services..
• GPs, hospital, Public Health Nurses
• Sense of community
• Friends and family contact and support

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What the research involved

• The Four Parishes
• Snap-shot of the position in 2007
• Collecting data
• Population 65 years and over resident
• Data to describe the parishes (the 2006 Census)

• Social survey
• Health screening
• St. Camilluss Hospital
• Sampling
• OL Rosary and St. Munchins (larger older
  population)
• Total coverage in Christ the King and Corpus
  Christi

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Numbers, sample size response rates
  Male Female Total Respondent No. Sample size ()
Corpus C 58 27 47
Christ the K 132 156 288 146 51
OL Rosary 492 668 1160 218 19
St. Munch's 422 585 1007 151 15
           
Corpus Christi - estimate Corpus Christi - estimate Corpus Christi - estimate
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Population Parishes Thomond Cluster
Parish 2002   2006
  Number of total Number of total
Corpus Christi 4020 18.3 3674 17.5
Christ the King 3702 16.9 3865 18.4
Our Lady of the Rosary 6136 28.0 5617 26.7
St. Munchin's 8081 36.8 7863 37.4
Thomond Cluster 21939 100.0 21019 100.0
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Range 2 very easy, -2 very difficult
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Range 2 very easy, -2 very difficult
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Not stat. significant by gender Stat. sig by age,
p0.05
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Association with gender, statistically
significant p0.000
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Range 0not at all a problem 4a very big problem
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Range 0not at all a problem 4 a very big
problem
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Range 2trust completely -2not at all
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Range 2trust completely -2not at all
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Social networks interaction

• Networks of family, friends people to turn to
  in crisis
• Christ the King (Caherdavin), largest average
  size Corpus Christi (Moyross), smallest
• No friends and no-one to turn to
• 12 no friends, 1 no-one to turn to St.
  Munchins
• 19 no friends 3 no-one to turn to Corpus
  Christi
• In touch by meeting telephone contact (least in
  Corpus Christi)
• Age affects regularity of interaction

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Age not statistically Significant in oldest age
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All 5.34 CthK5.86 HR4.64 St.M5.93 CC4.85
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Relationship to parish
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Health services utilisation Evidence factors of
association

• Health status ..
• People in poor health use services to a greater
  extent
• Parish (social class)
• Average annual GP visits social pattern
• Home help (gradient) social pattern..
• Public health nursing (almost statistically
  significant)
• Age (increasing)
• Hosp. inpatient (Cramers V0.203, plt0.001)
• Respite, (Cramers V0.213, plt0.001)
• Day centre, (Cramers V0.356, plt0.001)
• PHN (Cramers V0.230, plt0.001)
• Home help (Cramers V0.329, plt0.001)

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Findings

• Age and gender physical health
• Men better physical health
• Differences by social class place (parish)
• Oldest old (resilient survivors) many dont
  survive
• Better neighbourhoods, better services etc. but
• OL Rosary .. poor community-based services
• Access to essential services .. Better physical
  health
• Social networks, trust, participation in
  voluntary associations .. Follow the social
  pattern
• Regular meeting with friends physical health
• Age, health, social class .. health services
  utilisation
• Community-based services low level of provision
  and higher take-up disadvantaged
• Older population differences but a lot in
  common

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Recommendations

• Heavier health services utilisation .. .making up
  for accumulated disadvantages ..
• Conditions of neighbourhood .. good essential
  services

• Safe and accessible meeting places
• Maintain contact with friends
• Contact across the social divide
• Engagement .. building up trust
• Trust in institutions