Do partners of severely disabled elderly protect against nursing home entry? Evidence from a French cohort

Abstract Background This article will explore the ability of partners to prevent nursing home entry for their disabled relatives: does the role played by partners vary with age and the type of disability affecting the relatives they care for? Methods We used data from a French cohort study, which included 3777 seniors who were initially living in the community in two French districts (Gironde and Dordogne) and who were followed for 22 years, between 1989 and 2011. Three Cox competing risks models are estimated. Results The presence of a partner reduces the risk of nursing home admission by 40% for an elderly individual who is 80 years old. However, that protective effect of partners is no longer significant at the 5% level when the elderly suffers from limitations in fundamental activities of daily-living or after the age of 84 when the individual is cognitively impaired. Conclusions The low protective effect of partners against the risk of nursing home entry for the oldest-old or severely disabled should lead to a reassessment of the relevance of informal support for this specific group of individuals.