A Study on the Health Rights and Life Satisfaction of Older Adults with Disabilities: A Typological Approach

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to propose effective policies and institutional measures to ensure for older adults with disabilities their health rights as fundamental human rights and improved life satisfaction. Based on indicators in various domains of health rights, such as the right to be healthy, the right to health care, and the right in the health care system, typologies were derived, and the resulting differences and their impact on life satisfaction were examined. The analysis used data from the 2020 National Survey of People with Disabilities conducted on a total of 3,375 older adults with disabilities (aged 65+) by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs. The study revealed three types of health rights: comprehensive health rights, service-centered health rights, and limited health rights. It was found that the right to be healthy and the right in the health care system were relatively weaker compared to the right to health care. Furthermore, variations in life satisfaction were observed among different types of health rights. Based on these results, concrete intervention strategies were suggested to enhance the quality of life of older adults with disabilities through the guarantee of health rights.