Disability Rises Gradually for a Cohort of Older Americans.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

We study changes in average disability over nearly two decades for a large epidemiological cohort of older Americans. As some people exit by mortality, do average disability levels for the living cohort rise rapidly, rise gradually, stay steady, or decline?

Method

Data are from the Study of Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old (AHEAD) cohort for 1993-2010. Cohort members are aged 70+ in 1993 (mean = 77.5 years), and the survivors are aged 87+ in 2010 (mean = 90.2 years). Personal care disability (activities of daily living), household management disability (instrumental activities of daily living), and physical limitations are studied. We study average disability for the living cohort over time and the disability histories for decedent and survivor group

SUBMITTER: Verbrugge LM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5156489 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature