Social Work professor Dr. Flávia Andrade, doctoral student Ting Hu, and University of Rhode Island professor Dr. Nekehia Quashie were recently awarded a grant from the World Health Organization (WHO) to focus on the unmet needs of older adults in the Americas. The project, Quantifying unmet need for social care among older persons globally with special attention to the WHO Region of the Americas, seeks to analyze unmet social care needs among older persons (aged 60+) globally, with a focus on the Americas region. The team’s research will leverage publicly available data to quantify unmet needs and provide insights to guide regional and global strategies on long-term care.

In 2020, approximately 16% of the North American population was aged 60+ and is expected to continue rising. Latin America and the Caribbean are expected to reach similar thresholds by 2040. Those aged 80+ are the fastest-growing group, with high vulnerability and increased care demands. Unmet care needs contribute to poor health, reduced quality of life, institutionalization, and mortality.

The team aims to develop a comprehensive research plan, identifying and assessing relevant data sources for analysis; analyze data to estimate unmet social care needs of older persons across multiple countries; and produce a report and a research brief with findings and policy implications specific to the Americas Region.

Their final report is expected to be submitted by December 2025.