people living in finglas and their health - School of Medicine - Trinity ...

RESULTS - PART 1
RESULTS - PART 1
Table 3.1 Primary carers’ reported characteristics of their households
No. %
Number of people living in each house
1 to 2 155 47.7
3 to 4 115 35.4
5 to 11 55 16.9
n 325
Average 2.9
Median 3
Range 1 to 8
Living alone
Yes 53 16.3
No 272 83.7
Year moved into house (grouped)
1937 to 1962 87 26.9
1963 to 1982 112 34.6
1983 to 1992 39 12.0
1993 to 2002 86 26.5
n 324
DED deprivation score for area of residence
(where 1 is least deprived and 5 is most deprived)
1 96 29.5
2 69 21.2
3 0 00.0
4 64 19.7
5 96 29.5
n 325
Resides in an area classified as deprived (scores 4 and 5 combined)
Yes 160 49.2
No 165 50.8
n 325
House occupancy status
Mortgage 100 30.9
Outright owner 142 43.8
Tenant purchasing plan 30 9.3
Rent paid by health board or renting from local authority/housing association 38 11.7
Rent privately 14 4.3
n 324
According to the primary carers, almost all (98%) of the households had access to a telephone (Table 3.2) while
approximately 70% of the households owned a car (Figure 3.3). Almost 97% of the households had central
heating, of which 73% used gas heating. Just over one third of the households had full health care cover
through the General Medical Services, while 30% of households had private health insurance. Eight primary
carers (of whom six respondents were aged 70 years or over) had both a medical card and private health
insurance. Those with both may have received their medical card as a result of the new over 70’s Medical Card
Scheme. One quarter of the respondents had no health cover (Table 3.2). Overall, almost 60% of the
households are dependent on the public health services.
Table 3.2 Primary carers reported access to communication, heating and health cover
PERCENTAGE
24 hour access to telephone by household member
Yes 319 98.2
No 6 1.8
n 325
Emergency communications for those households
without 24 hour phone access
Neighbour’s phone 5 83.3
Panic button 1 16.7
n 6
Central heating in the house
Yes 315 96.9
No 10 3.1
n 325
Method of central heating
Gas 232 73.6
Oil 61 19.4
Solid Fuel 10 3.2
Electricity 12 3.8
n 325
Health cover for household occupants
Medical card 115 35.4
BUPA† 18 5.5
VHI† 96 29.5
Other private† 13 4.0
None 83 25.6
n 325
†Private health insurance 127 (39%)
Demographic and socio-economic characteristics for the primary carers
The primary carer is the person in the household who manages the welfare and health of the family/household.
Table 3.3 presents the self-reported demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the primary carers. Of
those who said that they were primary carers, 32% were men; this included men who were single (36/103,
35%), separated (8/103, 8%), widowed (13/103, 12%) or those who shared the caring role with their partner
(46/103, 45%). On average the primary carers were 52 years old and over a quarter were aged 65 years or
older. Fifty three percent of the primary carers did not work outside the home. Just over 60% of the primary
carers had completed a state examination (group certificate or more) (Figure 3.3) and almost nine percent of
those who had completed their state examination did so with assistance from an adult education scheme.
Almost 13% of primary carers described themselves as lone parents (Figure 3.3).
Figure 3.3 Key characteristics of the household and primary carers (n=325)
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
11.7
39.8
1.9
12.7
35.4
30.5
GOVERNMENT
ACCOMODATION
PRIMARY
EDUCATION
OR LESS
NON-NATIONAL LONE PARENT MEDICAL CARD
COVER
NO CAR
HOUSEHOLD AND PRIMARY CARER CHARACTERISTICS
22
23