Objective  To explore care demand and its determinants among community disabled elderly in Fujian province.

  Methods  Using stratified multistage probability proportionate to size sampling, we recruited 5 280 residents aged ≥ 60 years in communities or villages of 6 municipalities of Fujian province for a questionnaire survey in 2015. The disabled elderly were screened out from all the residents based on the assessment of Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and care demand and its influencing factors among the disabled elderly were investigated with a self-designed questionnaire.

  Results  Totally 280 disabled elderly were identified and the rate of ADL disability was 5.41% among the elderly residents surveyed. Of the disabled elderly, 63.57%, 25.71%, and 10.71% were assessed with mild, moderate, and severe disability. The disabled elderly reported multiple care demands including daily living care, community services, and auxiliary appliances; taking a shower, using toilet, going to bed or getting up, and indoor walking were among the most frequently reported care demand items. Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that care demand was positively correlated with disability degree and major factors influencing the care demand were falling, type of chronic diseases suffered from, and disability severity.

  Conclusion  There were urgent demands for daily living care and home based medication among urban and rural disabled elderly, especially among those with severe disabilities, falling history, and suffering from multiple chronic diseases, in Fujian province.