Long-Term Care for Older Adults: A Comparative Study Across Different Socio-Economic Groups

Year 2025, Volume: 8 Issue: 2, 97 - 117, 30.12.2025

Hatice Selin Irmak Yaşar , Taner Artan

https://doi.org/10.51819/jaltc.2025.1742410

Abstract

This study aims to assess the attitudes of individuals from various societal segments toward long-term care (LTC) for older adults. Data were collected using the Personal Information Form and the Attitude Toward the Provision of Long-Term Care questionnaire. The results indicate that being female, being in the 50–64 age range, being married, having lower education levels, and perceiving their income as more than sufficient (“I can’t spend all”) are associated with more favorable attitudes toward family-based LTC. Additionally, living in the same household as an older adult, having prior caregiving experience, and having older adults previously co-residing with their children were associated with more positive attitudes toward family-based LTC. Conversely, having a relative living in a nursing home or care center, limited knowledge about aging and older adults care, and feeling inadequate in caregiving skills were linked to more favorable attitudes toward institutional-based LTC. Overall, the study highlights that attitudes toward LTC are shaped not only by the relationship between older adults and primary caregivers but also by broader family characteristics and socioeconomic conditions.

Keywords

Older Adults Care , Gerontological Social Work , Informal Family Care , Social Policy

Ethical Statement

Ethics committee approval was received from Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa Social and Human Sciences Ethics Committee (Ethics committee no: 93/25 dated 18.05.2020). The study was conducted in compliance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.

Project Number

This work was supported by the TUBİTAK 2211-Domestic Graduate Scholarship Program.

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