Home › Research › End-of-life care
Unmet Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Care Needs and Associated Risk Factors Among Older Adults with Dementia at the End of Life
Hazal Swearinger, Gulcin Con. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 2025-03-05
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
This paper examined the prevalence of and risk factors associated with unmet needs for activities of daily living (ADL) for older adults dying with dementia. We focused on a sample of 632 older adults in the National Health and Aging Trends Study. Employing Andersen's behavioral model of health, we investigated the association of predisposing, enabling, and need factors and found that older age, using hospice, receiving residential care, and severity of ADL disability were associated with fewer unmet care needs. This study emphasizes the timing of end-of-life care preferences and the quality of care services for older adults with dementia.
Key findings
- This paper examined the prevalence of and risk factors associated with unmet needs for activities of daily living (ADL) for older adults dying with dementia.
- Employing Andersen's behavioral model of health, we investigated the association of predisposing, enabling, and need factors and found that older age, using hospice, receiving residential care, and severity of ADL disability were associated with fewer unmet care needs.
Why it matters
This study looked at unmet daily living care needs among older adults dying with dementia and found that older age, hospice use, residential care and greater ADL disability were linked to fewer unmet needs. It concerns end-of-life care quality, not treating, curing or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 28/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of Gerontological Social Work) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | Journal of Gerontological Social Work: journal h-index 72 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 1 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 1 / 6 | Cited 0.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 1 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Gulcin Con: h-index 7 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Çankırı Karatekin University: institution h-index 94 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40042363) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 28 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
May need a subscription OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 6 Feb 1020), so the publisher may charge for it. The PubMed abstract is free.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Swearinger, H., & Con, G. (2025). Unmet Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Care Needs and Associated Risk Factors Among Older Adults with Dementia at the End of Life. Journal of Gerontological Social Work. https://doi.org/10.1080/01634372.2025.2474584
Vancouver
Swearinger H, Con G. Unmet Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Care Needs and Associated Risk Factors Among Older Adults with Dementia at the End of Life. Journal of Gerontological Social Work. 2025. doi:10.1080/01634372.2025.2474584. PMID: 40042363.
BibTeX
@article{swearinger2025-40042363,
author = {Swearinger, Hazal and Con, Gulcin},
title = {{Unmet Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Care Needs and Associated Risk Factors Among Older Adults with Dementia at the End of Life}},
journal = {Journal of Gerontological Social Work},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1080/01634372.2025.2474584},
pmid = {40042363},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1080/01634372.2025.2474584}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Related studies in End-of-life care
Also tagged “care”
996 studies in the library carry the topic tag “care”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 996 tagged studies.