Functional Ability and Survival of the Care Homes Residents Aged 85+: Ten-year Follow-up Study

Maintaining functional ability is an essential prerequisite for healthy ageing and might be of critical importance for reaping the benefits of lifespan extension. This study aims to explore the relationship between functional ability and survival in the Croatian older adults aged 85 years and over. Study included 250 residents of 11 public long-term care facilities whose mobility and independence were followed-up during a ten-year period. The relation of functional ability to lifespan was explored by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression. From the time of initial interview, the study participants lived on average 4.4 years (full range being 12 years), and less than one year elapsed from the beginning of immobility or dependence until death. Mean age at death was 92.5 years, while the average age at the beginning of immobility or dependence was 91.6 years. The survival was related to their level of mobility and independence, with longer survival being attributed to women. Nevertheless, a lower proportion of men were at the end of their life completely dependent on other people's care. The main two findings of this study are: (a) the levels of mobility and independence, as well as gender, are independent predictors of the number of surviving years for the 85 + aged care homes residents; and (b) they are, on average, completely dependent on professional care for a very short time period until their death. The presented evidence could bring valuable information for social and healthcare planning, and impact everyday gerontologic and geriatric practice.