Key points

This study uses Health and Care Experience (HACE) 2023-24 survey data to better understand the level of reported need and unmet need for care, support and help with everyday living - hereafter referred to as “support” - amongst the older adult population (65+) at a national level. This support could include help from any organisations, friends or family. 

The key findings are:

Reported need and unmet need amongst older adults

• 22% of older adults (65+) in Scotland reported that they needed or received support over the past 12 months.
• 9% of older adults reported unmet support needs.
• 43% of those who said that they needed or received support reported unmet support needs.

Reported unmet needs in the overall adult population

• Disabled older adults were more likely to report having unmet support needs (17%) than those without a disability (2%).
• The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) is a relative measure of deprivation between areas that compares income as well as access to resources and opportunities. Older adults living in the most deprived quintile (SIMD1) were more likely to report experiencing an unmet need (16%) compared to those in the least deprived quintile (SIMD5: 6%).
• Both of the above groups with comparatively higher levels of reported unmet need were also more likely to say they received support but not report unmet needs.This is related to these groups being more likely to report needing or receiving support.
• 8% of older men and 10% of older women reported an unmet need.

Reported unmet needs amongst those who needed or received support

• Amongst those who needed or received support, disabled older adults who said they were limited “a lot” in their daily activities were less likely to report having received no help despite needing it (11%) than those who said they were limited “a little” (14%). But, they were more likely to report having had help that did not fully meet their needs (35%) than those were limited “a little” (27%).
• Amongst only those who needed or received support, men (16%) were more likely than older women (11%) to say that they had no help but needed it.
• Of the older adults who had received support, those who reported that they only received unfunded support (i.e. self/ family-funded care or unpaid care) were more likely to report an unmet need (42%) than those who reported that they had received state-funded, local government-funded or charity-funded support as part or all of their support (34%). It is important to note that, amongst those who had received funded support, only 4% specifically selected the response option "My current care service is not enough". (Our previous publication provides more information and statistics on reasons for reporting unmet need, amongst adults of all ages).
• 50% of unfunded support recipients who were disabled and also said they were limited “a lot” in their daily activities reported an unmet need.
• When we looked at just the older adult population who needed or received support we found that across all geographical areas (i.e. rural areas, towns and urban areas) between 12-13% of older adults who needed or received support did not receive any. 
• Older adults who needed or received support and lived in urban areas were slightly more likely to report that they received support and still experienced an unmet need (31%) than their counterparts living in rural areas (28%).