Predicting service use and intent to use services of older adult residents of two naturally occurring retirement communities

The Andersen-Newman framework was used to examine predictors of service use and intent to use services within the context of multiple services provided to residents of a naturally occurring retirement community (NORC). Predisposing, enabling, need, and interest in service factors were measured with a baseline survey administered to 180 residents. The relationship between each factor and actual service use was analyzed for total services and individual service domains. Predisposing, enabling, and interest in service factors predicted the use of some services, and patterns of predictors varied by service type. Older age and female gender were the most consistent predictors of actual service use. In the multivariate analysis, older age, female gender, and intent to use specific services predicted total service use. Given that participants tended to be the older segment of the NORC population, programs should consider the functional decline of the population being served and adjust their approach for providing services to an even frailer population or build a mechanism for constantly recruiting participants as some become too disabled for the level of service.