Food and drink care-related quality of life of older adults accessing community-based care services in England

Community-based social care plays an important role in addressing food and drink care-related quality of life (QoL) outcomes and associated needs of older people. An analysis of data from the English Adult Social Care Survey was conducted to explore the QoL and unmet needs of older people using social care services. Between 4.3 per cent (in 2011) and 8.1 per cent (in 2022) of older adults reported unmet needs. This increased over time, after controlling for other factors, potentially due to context, for example, the cost of living and underfunding of social care. The analysis demonstrates the importance of understanding older adults’ QoL outcomes/needs as reflective of effective community-based care.