Characteristics of norwegian older adults living alone over three decades (1995–2019)

Abstract Introduction Among older adults who are living alone, social isolation, and physical and cognitive impairment are more common than among those who do not live alone. The proportion of older adults who live alone is expected to increase further. The current study investigated the disability and formal care service use among older adults living alone between 1995-2016 in Norway. Methods A total of 31,263 people aged 70+ participated in the Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT) survey 2 (1995/97), 3 (2006/08), and 4 (2017/19). The study assessed the use of formal care including practical help (PH) and home nursing (HN), and disability in personal and instrumental activities of daily living (PADL:7 items and IADL: 6 items). Results More than 70% of older adults living alone were women (74% in HUNT2, 77% in HUNT3, 71% in HUNT4). The use of PH service among those who were living alone decreased from 33.7% to 18.6%, while HN service use increased from 10.4% to 16.4%. The percentage of PADL disability among those who lived alone was similar (10.3% to 9.1%) between 1995-2019. However, the percentage of IADL disability has decreased from 37.6% (1995-97) to 27% (2017-19) while in all cohorts IADL disability rates were significantly higher among those who were living alone than those who were living with others. Conclusions Although the use of HN service among older adults who were living alone decreased during 1995-2016, those who were living alone in all cohorts had higher IADL disability rates compared to those who lived with others.