Health Care Access and Cognitive Function in Older Adults: A Cross-Lagged Panel Longitudinal Analysis.

The current longitudinal study examined how (1) cognitive measures, including episodic memory, executive function, and global cognition, predict later healthcare access and how (2) healthcare access predicts later cognition. Drawing a sample ( = 9920) from the Health and Retirement Study dataset, we created a cross-lagged panel model to examine the longitudinal association between cognitive measures and healthcare access from 2012 to 2018. Results revealed that cognitive measures significantly predict later healthcare access, with effects increasing across waves. However, within sub-domains, memory was more predictive of later healthcare access over time compared to executive function. Our study suggested an increased link between cognition and healthcare access during aging. Even outside of the context of AD, there are likely both policy-based and practical implications to ensure those experiencing cognitive decline continue to maintain access to care.