The use of technical aids by elderly persons in the Netherlands: An application of the Andersen and Newman model

In this article, variables were identified that are able to explain the use of technical aids by elderly people. The model developed by Andersen and Newman (1973) formed the basis for this research. Data were gathered from 498 randomly selected elderly people who were single, 75 years or older, and living independently. Whether or not elderly people use mobility aids or technical aids for basic activities of daily living (ADLs) is mainly predicted by need (functional status, chronic illnesses) and predisposing (gender, housing) variables. The number of used technical aids can be explained by predisposing (age, housing, education), enabling (income, receiving help), and need (functional status, chronic illness) variables. As opposed to others, in this study elderly people with a high income were less likely to use many mobility aids than people with an average income. We could not offer a plausible explanation for the nonlinear relationship between income and the number of technical aids used.