Lifestyle factors linked to admissions into aged care

New research found lifestyle risk factors in a person’s early 60s were linked to admission into aged care.

In a study involving over 125,000 Australians, the University of Sydney (USYD) revealed that physical inactivity, smoking, poor diet, and sleep disorders between the ages of 60 and 64 correlated to and increased risk of admission to aged care.

With the release of the Intergenerational Report, lead researcher Dr Alice Gibson said it was important for people to change these lifestyle factors.

“This is incredibly timely with the latest Intergenerational Report suggesting that the number of people aged 65 and over will more than double over the next four decades, with an unprecedented demand on the aged care sector,” Dr Gibson said.

“We know that factors like poor sleep and inactivity increase people’s risk of developing diseases such as dementia and diabetes, but this is the first study to look at the independent and combined impact these behaviours have on a person’s risk of admission into aged care.”

“Further research is needed, but our results suggest that people could potentially modify their lifestyle to alter their risk of admission to a nursing home or aged-care facility in the future.”

In 2022, 407,000 Australians were using aged care services, with almost 50 per cent of those in permanent or respite residential aged care.

Researchers found that 18 per cent of the participants were admitted into nursing homes.

Lifestyle factors were incredibly influential among 60-64-year-olds, with the people with the unhealthiest lifestyle being more than twice as likely to be admitted to aged care than those with healthier lifestyles.

Researchers, however, emphasised that the study had limitations due to being observational.

“The study relied on questionnaire data at one point, so it is unable to account for lifestyle behaviour changes over time,” Dr Gibson said.

“Another was dietary assessment, which might explain why no independent association was found between diet and aged-care home admissions.”

Despite the limitations, Dr Gibson said lifestyle factors were strongly associated with aged-care home admissions.

“This evidence is an important contribution to aged-care policy and might also serve as a personal motivator for lifestyle changes among younger at-risk individuals who do not want to lose their future independence and want to remain in their homes for as long as possible.”

“On a public health level, this study suggests we should be looking at strategies to encourage older people to improve their lifestyle, including focusing on smoking cessation, reducing sitting time, increasing physical activity, and improving sleep to help reduce the burden on our aged-care system.”

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