Long-term care benefits granted to the elderly in Andalusia

ABSTRACT

Using data from the Individual Care Programmes (PIAs) of the whole population of dependent elderly receiving LTC benefits as of 31 December 2014 in the most populated region of Spain, Andalusia, we compare the factors associated with the different types of LTC benefits granted. The study includes 110,966 dependent elderly aged 65 years and over. The percentage of those receiving care at their homes was very high (80%). In contrast to the main aim established in the Dependency Act, financial benefits for care at home were the most common type of benefit (47%) followed by home-based support (33%). Overall, all the determinants examined (age, gender, income, degree of dependency and type of municipality) were found to influence all types of LTC benefits with two exceptions: age in the case of long-term residential care and gender in the case of day and night centres. Our analysis suggests that income level is a key factor for being cared for at an institution but the direction of the relationship is different for private and public institutions. This fact, together with the variations in the access to institutional care depending on where the person lives, points out that a greater effort is necessary to guarantee an adequate supply. Social workers could help to improve the current LTC system if more resources are available when they participate in the design of PIAs.