Assessing Accessibility of Health Care for the Oldest Old

Marina A. Kartseva () and Dmitry M. Rogozin ()
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Marina A. Kartseva: The Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Moscow, Russia
Dmitry M. Rogozin: The Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Moscow, Russia

Population and Economics, 2025, vol. 9, issue 2, 1-13

Abstract: This paper analyzes health care accessibility for the oldest old. The empirical basis for this work is data obtained through a qualitative sociological survey of individuals aged 85 and over. It has been shown that the current situation regarding access to medical care for this age group is extremely challenging. The most significant barriers are physical ones, caused by their physical and cognitive limitations, as well as specifics of health care organization within the national healthcare system. Additionally, sociocultural barriers limit health care accessibility for the oldest old. Discrimination against older adults, for example ageism among health care providers is common. The identified limitations and barriers reduce the accessibility of medical consultations and medications. The most vulnerable to limited access to health care are older adults with limited mobility, bedridden, and those with significant cognitive impairments. Effective measures to improve accessibility of health care for the oldest old require reliable data, reflecting the needs and problems of this age group. The study shows that standard sociological tools are extremely limited in their ability to survey the oldest old due to their physical and cognitive health. To obtain adequate data, sociological tools must be adjusted with due regard to the characteristics, specific to this age group, and specialized surveys must be conducted.

Keywords: oldest; old; qualitative; interviews; accessibility; and; quality; of; medical; services; medication; accessibility; surveys (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C81 I14 I18 J14 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:arh:jpopec:v:9:y:2025:i:2:p:1-13

DOI: 10.3897/popecon.9.e146947

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