Access to assistive products, home modifications and human help in older adults in the 2021-2025 Autonomy survey

Limited evidence on access to assistive technologies among older adults may obscure significant inequities and hinder the development of effective policies aimed at reducing unmet need. This secondary analysis of the 2021-2025 Autonomy survey conducted in France used data from 8,024 respondents aged 60 and above on access to 54 assistive products across nine functional domains, 34 home modifications across 5 areas of the home and 24 activities requiring human help. Using survey weights, use, unmet need, total need, met need, undermet need and coverage were calculated across the total population and for vulnerable subgroups. Reasons for non-use were examined among those not using needed assistive products. We estimated that 83·2% (81·8%, 84·5%) of the French older population use assistive technology. Use was largest for assistive products for seeing, reading and for everyday life, home modifications in the bathing area and human help for undertaking less frequent tasks. Coverage was low for assistive products for communication and for transfers, home modifications in the kitchen and bathing area, as well as human help for running errands and using electronic devices. Use and unmet need were more than five times greater than the total population for subgroups with functional limitations. Cost was the biggest barrier to access. While the majority of total need for assistive technologies corresponded to use, important gaps in coverage were identified that merit attention to support an autonomous life among older populations.