The Effect of Self-Rated Health Status and Health Behaviour on Medical Resource Utilization of the Elderly

Abstract

Changes in the global demographic structure in past years have resulted in different types of population aging. Along with the advance of medical technology, the improvement of public health, the extension of life expectancy, and the decrease in fertility rates, the global demographic structure is gradually aging. The aging speed is increasing in various countries, and domestic aging speed is fast and rush that how to effectively deal with various elderly care problems shows the urgency; otherwise, it would become troublesome when becoming a national, governmental, social, and family burden. Precautions are therefore essential and urgent; especially, elderly economic problems involving in living standards may have a burden on families. Taking the elderly in Taiwan as the questionnaire samples, a total 500 questionnaires were distributed. After excluding invalid and incomplete questionnaires, 367 copies were valid, with the retrieval rate of 73%. Based on the results we propose suggestions, assisting governmental sectors to implement welfare policies conforming to national benefits and taking care of elderly health and wellbeing to cope with the population aging trend. We also provide social and economic suggestions in the form of mature aged entrepreneurship as a driver od social innovation.