Met and unmet needs among older adults

Population ageing is increasing the demand for comprehensive health and social care services. Understanding the multidimensional needs of older adults, particularly unmet needs, is essential for identifying care gaps and developing targeted interventions. This study aimed to assess the met and unmet needs of community-dwelling older adults in Kashan, Iran, using the Camberwell Assessment of Need for the Elderly (CANE) tool. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2023 among 384 community-dwelling older adults in Kashan. Participants were selected using random cluster sampling from five geographic zones of the city. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the CANE, and the Abbreviated Mental Test (AMT). The CANE was administered through face-to-face interviews by trained assessors who read the questions aloud and recorded participants’ responses. Descriptive statistics and comparative analyses were performed using SPSS version 21. Among the 384 participants, 64.3% were male, and the mean age was 67.66 ± 6.1 years. The highest unmet needs were identified in the social domain, particularly regarding financial resources (42.4%) and benefits (34.6%). Memory-related needs represented the most frequent unmet need in the physical domain (33.9%). Housing-related needs showed the highest proportions of both met (29.9%) and unmet (34.4%) needs in the environmental domain. Medication-related needs were among the most frequent met (23.7%) and unmet (15.6%) care needs. Significant associations were found between overall CANE scores and physical and social needs with age, educational level, and health status ( P < 0.05). Older adults in Kashan experience unmet needs across multiple domains, particularly related to financial support, cognitive health, and environmental conditions. These findings highlight the importance of multidimensional geriatric assessment and coordinated health and social care services to identify and address gaps in support. Context-specific planning and targeted interventions are needed to promote healthy ageing and improve the quality of life of community-dwelling older adults. Not applicable.