Distal and proximal resource influences on economic dependency among the oldest old

Background: As exceptional survivors, centenarians may have characteristics that reduce their dependency on family and community support systems despite the expectation that their extreme age creates a burden on those systems. The Georgia Centenarian Study obtained information about assistance for income, medical care, and caregiving of all types for a sample of centenarians and octogenarians. Previous studies have not established which characteristics may contribute to economic dependency among the oldest old.

Objective: To identify distal and proximal resource influences on economic dependency, considering past lifestyle, proximal health, economic resources, personality, and coping behavior.

Methods: Analysis sample sizes ranged from 109 to 138 octogenarians and centenarians. Blockwise multiple regressions predicted whether they received income assistance, number of medical care events, number of caregiving types, and total caregiving hours.

Results: Past life style, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, functional health, and coping were not related to economic dependency. With the exception of the number of types of care, centenarians were not more dependent than octogenarians. Cognitive ability had the strongest effects for medical care and caregiving services. 'Extraversion', 'ideas', 'neuroticism', and 'competence' personality factors had significant effects for caregiving types and total hours of care received.

Conclusion: Monitoring and intervention to maintain cognitive ability are critical practices for autonomy and reduced economic dependency among the oldest old. Psychological resources are more important influences on social support than functional health and other proximal economic resources.