A shortage of health care providers continues to plague the Cape, according to a new study commissioned by Barnstable County.
The study focused on the health needs of Lower Cape residents, though Kathleen O’Neill, shared services program manager for the county’s health and environment department, said the results were largely applicable across the Cape.
The Portland, Maine-based consulting group Crescendo Consulting conducted the assessment. The firm’s research manager Nicole Hallas presented the findings to Barnstable County Commissioners last week.
“One of the most common themes that came up when speaking with community members was the lack of health care providers—specifically primary care providers and mental health providers,” she said. “Barnstable County does indeed have significantly fewer providers compared to the rest of the state.”
In Massachusetts, there are 627 residents for every primary care provider, according to the study. In Barnstable County, there are 1,130 residents for every primary care provider.
Another major issue the study found was with the Lower Cape’s aging population.
“Nearly one in 10 adults age 65 and older in the Lower Cape towns lives alone,” Hallas said. “Older adults living alone are especially vulnerable. They might be aging in place without a support network, which makes them susceptible to other issues, like failing to keep regular doctors appointments or being able to get out of the house to access food.”
Chatham and Orleans have the second and third highest median ages in the entire state, Hallas said. However, she noted that older adults living alone was an issue for every town on the Lower Cape.
The study also found that small but significant portions of the Lower Cape face language or financial barriers to accessing health care.
More than six percent of residents in Brewster and Harwich speak a language other than English, Hallas said.
Also, she said, while the residents of Lower Cape towns were mostly wealthy, there are still significant portions of the region that live in poverty.
“Just like with the percent of the population speaking a language other than English, these percentages of people in poverty might seem small,” Hallas said. “But this type of wealth disparity makes it really challenging for the part of the population with less money to access resources.
Hallas says food insecurity on the Cape has jumped 20 percent since 2018. Though the Cape’s network of food pantries and programs are robust, issues like transportation and mobility present barriers to people trying to access that food.
In interviews with researchers, Lower Cape residents identified additional health needs in their area. Some mentioned stigma around getting help for substance use or mental health issues. Others noted a lack of community gathering places and events that do not require money or center around alcohol.
More results from the study, including some recommendations for how to address health needs on the Lower Cape, are available online.
