Interactions of household composition and required care level with functional and cognitive status among disabled Japanese elderly living in a suburban apartment complex

Aim: In the forthcoming super‐aging society, the appropriate assessment of functional and cognitive conditions of disabled elderly people will become increasingly significant in providing care services. Care level and household composition would be key factors to assess function. There might also be an interaction between the two factors with the function. The present study examined the associations of household composition and care level with functional and cognitive status among the disabled elderly living in a suburban apartment complex with a high rate of aged residents (39% in 2009). Methods: Participants were 190 disabled elderly persons aged 65 years and over who lived in the apartment complex. Cross‐sectional data were collected between May 2009 and August 2010, including care level, household composition, basic activities of daily living (BADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and the independence level in relation to cognitive status. Lower scores meant less independence in BADL and IADL, and as determined by the cognitive/independence scale. Results: Approximately half of the participants lived alone. Generalized linear model procedure showed significant interactions with the BADL score and cognitive/independence scale between household composition and care level. Scores for BADL and the cognitive/independence scale in groups receiving a higher care level were lower; however, the slope of the trend for the elderly living alone was more gradual than for the elderly living with others. Conclusion: It is important for health‐care providers to assess in detail the status of the disabled elderly considering both their household composition and care level in planning and providing assistance for them. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2012; 12: 538–546.