What about the hands? Older adults' attitudes and perceptions of hand function

BACKGROUND: Age-related declines in hand function are common yet often go undiagnosed until they become severe. Perceptions play an important role in seeking care, however this relationship is largely unknown for the upper limbs. METHODS: 595 older adults (mean age: : 71.8 ± 5.5y) completed an online survey about perceptions of hand function and barriers to seeking care. Participants also completed the QuickDASH and Michigan Hand Questionnaire, which were correlated with attitudes. RESULTS: Despite most respondents (85%) agreeing that hand function is important, only 43% expressed concern about losing function. One-third of respondents considered seeking care for a limitation but did not, primarily because they felt their function was not poor enough (33%), despite 64% of these respondents indicating impairments on the QuickDASH. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide empirical evidence demonstrating the lack of attention paid to hand function, underscoring the importance of discussing and assessing age-related hand impairments before they impact independence.