Diseases Associated with Long Term Care: A Preliminary Study to Help of Improving the Quality of Life of Dependents

Abstract

The average life expectancy of the population in developed countries has continued to rise since the middle of the last century. This phenomenon implies many changes in society, mainly social and economic. Although this constitutes both medical and technological step forward, many elderly people have limiting disabilities that may even render it impossible to perform activities of daily living. Consequently, a decline in quality of life is provoked and these people become dependent on long-term care. It remains crucial to determine those diseases that would involve major deterioration in the quality of life and a high cost of care. Hence the aim of this paper is to study which diseases are more closely associated to dependence in order to provide parameters and indicators to enable the implementation of policies of prevention, investment into research, and the development of viable strategies to cover the cost of medical care in the future.