Adult Social Care Survey 2013/14 - Rural-Urban Analysis

The Adult Social Care Survey is an annual statutory survey.  Every Local Authority with responsibility for providing adult social care services is required to conduct a survey of their service users.  The Adult Social Care Survey asks 20 questions to adults (18+) about quality of life and the impact the services received have on quality of life. It also collects information about self-reported general health and well-being.

Data collected through the survey by Local Authorities is sent to the Health and Social Care Information Centre and is used as the basis of analyses that are included in national level Official Statistics reports. Data is also used to populate several measures in the Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework.

Somerset County Council sent questionnaires to a sample of 1,321 service users from across all client groups. In total 545 surveys were returned achieving a response rate of 41.26%.

The responses of the Adult Social Care Survey have been looked at with the aim of showing any difference between rural and non-rural groups. It is important to note that the observed differences might not reflect any real underlying differences because the rates are based on small numbers and the population structure of rural and urban areas is different.  It is included here as it may show issues that require further investigation.

Although there are some obvious differences in the responses in terms of rural/urban classification, a number are similar. For example, a similar proportion of respondents from all rural and non-rural groups,

• feel safe
• are satisfied with the care that they receive
• say care and support services received improve the quality of life
• say their home meets their needs and is clean and comfortable
• feel clean and presentable

Differences between rural and non-rural groups

Social isolation

• 15% of those living in a Rural Village and Dispersed area feel ‘they are able to spend their time as they like’ compared to 25% of those living in Rural Town and Fringe area and 27% of respondents resident in an Urban City and Town
• 20% of those living in a Rural Village and Dispersed area feel ‘that they have as much control over their lives as they like’ compared to 35% of those living in Rural Town and Fringe area and 29% of respondents resident in an Urban City and Town
• 20% of those living in a Rural Village and Dispersed area feel that ‘they are unable to get to all the places in the local area that they want’ compared to 24% of those living in Rural Town and Fringe area and 27% of respondents resident in an Urban City and Town.

Adequate food and drink

• 60% of respondents resident in a Rural Village and Dispersed area feel that they ‘Get all the food and drink I like’’ compared to 66% of those living in an Urban City and Town and 71% of those living in a Rural Town and Fringe area.

Ability to undertake tasks

• 28% of respondents resident in a Rural Village and Dispersed area feel that they ‘cannot manage to get around indoors by myself’ compared to 15% of those living in an Urban City and Town and 19% of those living in a Rural Town and Fringe area.
• 29% of respondents resident in a Rural Village and Dispersed area feel that they ‘Cannot manage to get in and out of a bed (or chair) by myself’ compared to 18% of those living in an Urban City and Town and 20% of those living in a Rural Town and Fringe area.
• 64% of respondents resident in an Rural Village and Dispersed area feel that they ‘Cannot manage to wash all over by yourself, using either a bath or shower’ compared to 41% of those living in a Urban city and town and 48% of those living in an Rural Town and Fringe area.
• 48% of respondents resident in a Rural Village and Dispersed area feel that they ‘cannot manage to get dressed and undressed by yourself’ compared to 28% of those living in an Urban City and Town and 38% of those living in a Rural Town and Fringe area.

Figure 1: Ability to undertake tasks

Self-reported health

• 9% of respondents resident in a Rural Village and Dispersed area have extreme pain or discomfort compared to 17% of those living in an Urban City and Town and 18% of those living in a Rural Town and Fringe area.
• Respondents living in a Rural Village and Dispersed area are less likely to be anxious or depressed than respondents living in other areas. There are also a slightly higher proportion of rural village respondents who believe that their ‘health is good’ in comparison with the other areas.

Interestingly, respondents resident in a Rural Village appear less able to carry out tasks without help, but their health seems to be better than the other areas.

Information and advice

• 35% of those living in a Rural Village and Dispersed area have never tried to find information and advice about support, services or benefits’ compared to 24% of those living in Rural Town and Fringe area and 23% of respondents resident in an Urban City and Town
• However of those respondents living in a Rural Village and Dispersed area who tried to find information only 9% found it difficult to find as opposed to Urban City and Town (18%) and Rural Town and Fringe (17%).

Quality of life

• 58% of respondents resident in a Rural Village and Dispersed area feel that their ‘Quality of Life is good’ I like’’ compared to 60% of those living in an Urban City and Town and 50% of those living in a Rural Town and Fringe area

Differences between Rural and Non Rural Groups - Gender

• For older women living in rural villages, there is a marked difference in their ability to spend their time as they like, possibly linked to a lack of personal transport if their husbands or partners have passed away or no longer drive.

Figure 2: Rural gender differences on spending time as liked

• 35% of Male respondents living in a Rural Village and Dispersed area feel that they are able to spend their time as they want compared with only 6% of female respondents.
• 31% of Male respondents living in a Rural Village and Dispersed area feel that they have as much control as they like over their daily life compared with only 15% of female respondents.
• 35% of Male respondents living in a Rural Village and Dispersed area feel that they can get to all the places they want compared with 13% of female respondents.
• In the Urban City and Rural Town categories the results for these set of questions are higher and very similar for men and women.