The impact of long-term care needs on the socioeconomic deprivation of older people and their families: results from a scoping review

Abstract

Background Long-term care (LTC), poverty, and socioeconomic deprivation are globally significant social issues. Ongoing population aging trends and the recent social and health emergencies caused by the COVID-19 pandemic crisis have highlighted the need for macro-level LTC and welfare system sustainability strategies. At the micro level, the relationship between LTC needs and the risk of socioeconomic deprivation and poverty should be taken into account to promote more targeted and innovative policies worldwide. This scoping review explores the relationship between LTC needs, the health status of older people, and the risk of socioeconomic deprivation for their families in order to understand how the literature interprets these concepts and the relationship between them and to identify any potential gaps in this regard. Methods The methodology considers different relevant sources: a) the guidelines for ScR proposed by Lockwood et al. [1]; b) the Munn et al. [2] recommendations; c) the PRISMA guideline for Scoping Reviews [3]; and d) the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) checklist [4]; Sixty-three papers are included in the frequency analysis of 9 identified categories to respond of aims. Results The findings reveal the existence of a debate that seeks to understand the different characteristics of the relationship between the investigated issues. Specific targets (such as older people, caregivers, and households) are used to identify LTC needs, while material deprivation or poverty is used to determine the conditions of deprivation. Relevant gaps in the literature are identified in terms of the concepts and approaches of the studies analyzed. The results indicate that the reciprocal relationship between LTC needs, supply, and the risk of socioeconomic deprivation is understudied. Conclusions The simplification strategy used in many studies to reduce the relationship’s complexity precludes an in-depth analysis and debate on some relevant aspects, including the crucial two-way relationship between LTC needs/supply and the risk of socioeconomic deprivation. Future studies should focus on the causal relationship between the two phenomena and identify any internal factors that may be involved.