Exploring the profile of community day house attendees: An investigation of older adults in Ibaraki City, Japan

<p>Objectives: Community Day Houses (CDHs) are spaces intended for community gatherings that are open to anyone over 65 years old. However, it is crucial to reassess the demand for personalized care among community-dwelling older adults who participate in these programs. Therefore, the purpose of this pilot cross-sectional study was to identify the characteristics of community-dwelling older CDH attendees and compare these characteristics with non-attendees.</p><p>Methods: The study recruited 112 older adults living in the community of Ibaraki City. Of these, 66 were CDH attendees (aged 80.5±6.8) and 46 were non-attendees (aged 75.0±6.7). Cognitive function, depressive mood, higher-level functional capacity, grip strength, walking speed, bone mineral density, and skeletal muscle mass were measured in both groups. Higher-level functional capacity was also evaluated using the Japan Science and Technology Agency Index of Competence questionnaire-based scale. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) tests adjusted for age, sex, and body mass index were performed to compare the two groups, and a sub-analysis of 48 older adults with disabilities was also conducted.</p><p>Results: The ANCOVA results revealed that participants who attended CDHs had significantly lower grip strength and bone mineral density, as well as slower walking speed. In the secondary analysis, there were no significant differences among CDH users with disabilities.</p><p>Conclusions: Individualized programming may be necessary to address the physical function improvement needs of CDH attendees.</p>