Family support is the biggest influencer of housing and care preferences among older adults, according to a study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Often, the authors found, older adults changed their preferences based on the concerns of family members or a wish to avoid “being a burden” to others. This basis was especially true for preferences regarding the places where people wished to receive care — for example, at home or in a residential care setting, they said.
The researchers, all of whom were affiliated with the Cicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care Policy and Rehabilitation at Kings College London, examined 57 previous studies about the preferences of older adults with advanced illness. They included research that investigated preferences for where people wanted to be cared for, the kinds of communication and decision-making they wanted and the quality of life they hoped to have over time.
Although support from family was the most important influence on their care preferences, older adults usually formed their preferences based on several other factors, too, including their experiences related to previous illness and caring for others as well as having a serious illness, according to the study.
