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Personal care activities

Long-term health problems and functional limitations make it difficult to perform the daily basic personal care activities (eating, dressing and undressing, getting in or out of bed, bathing or showering, etc.).

The questions on personal care activities are aimed at assessing possibilities, assistance and need of personal care in population aged 55 and older.

23 per cent of population aged 55 and older (women – 27 per cent, men – 17 per cent) encountered difficulties in performing personal care activities.

Difficulties in performing personal care activities are most common for older women. Women and men aged 75 and older have difficulties in performing the following personal care activities: bathing or showering (48 per cent of women and 30 per cent of men), getting in and out of a bed or chair (38 and 23 per cent respectively), dressing and undressing (37 and 24 per cent respectively).

Proportion of population aged 55 and older who have difficulties in performing basic personal care activities by age group, 2019

Per cent

The latest and detailed data are available in the Database of Indicators.

Persons having difficulties in performing personal care activities were asked whether they were usually assisted by someone in performing certain personal care activities, if so, whether help was sufficient, if not, whether help was needed.

65 per cent of persons having difficulties in performing personal care activities indicated that someone assisted them, one in three (29 per cent) persons stated that the help they received was not sufficient, 18 per cent of persons who did not receive any help indicated that the help was needed. Women indicated a greater need for help compared to men.

Household activities

56 per cent of population aged 55 and older encounter difficulties in performing household activities (women – 64 per cent, men – 42 per cent).

Difficulties in preparing meals, shopping, doing light and occasionally heavy housework were more common for women than men, which may be due to the fact that women do housework more often.

• Difficulties in preparing meals: 17 per cent of women, 12 per cent of men
• Difficulties in shopping: 30 per cent of women, 18 per cent of men
• Difficulties in doing light housework: 24 per cent of women, 17 per cent of men
• Difficulties in occasionally doing heavy housework: 64 per cent of women, 40 per cent of men

Proportion of population aged 55 and older who have difficulties in performing household activities by age group, 2019

Per cent

The latest and detailed data are available in the Database of Indicators.

The aim of the survey was to determine whether persons having difficulties in performing household activities are assisted by someone, if so, whether the help received is sufficient and what the need for such help is. 75 per cent of persons having difficulties in performing household activities indicated that someone assisted them, 18 per cent of persons stated that the help they received was not sufficient, 15 per cent of persons who did not receive any help indicated that the help was needed.

As society ages, the need for informal care or assistance remains necessary and relevant. The survey results showed that 14 per cent of population aged 15 and older (16 per cent of women and 11 per cent of men) provided care or assistance to other people having problems related to old age, chronic illness or disability at least once a week. The largest proportion of population who provided care or assistance was recorded in the 35–64 age group.

Proportion of population who have been providing informal care or assistance to other people with health problems at least once a week, 2019

Per cent

The latest and detailed data are available in the Database of Indicators.

Proportion of population who have been providing informal care or assistance to other people with health problems at least once a week by sex, 2019

Per cent

The latest and detailed data are available in the Database of Indicators.