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Unmet Need for Personal Assistance With Activities of Daily Living Among Older Adults

^a National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hyattsville, MD

Correspondence: Julie Dawson Weeks, PhD, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 6525 Belcrest Road, Room 730, Hyattsville, MD 20782. E-mail: jweeks{at}cdc.gov.

Decision Editor: Laurence G. Branch, PhD

Purpose: This study examined the prevalence, correlates, and negative consequences of unmet need for personal assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) among older adults. Design and Methods: The authors analyzed cross-sectional data from the 1994 National Health Interview Survey's Supplement on Aging. Data were weighted to be representative of the noninstitutionalized population aged 70 years and older. Results: Overall, 20.7% of those needing help to perform 1 or more ADLs (an estimated 629,000 persons) reported receiving inadequate assistance; for individual ADLs, the prevalence of unmet need ranged from 10.2% (eating) to 20.1% (transferring). The likelihood of having 1 or more unmet needs was associated with lower household income, multiple ADL difficulties, and living alone. Nearly half of those with unmet needs reported experiencing a negative consequence (e.g., unable to eat when hungry) as a result of their unmet need. Implications: Greater, targeted efforts are needed to reduce the prevalence and consequences of unmet need for ADL assistance in elderly persons.

Key Words: Elderly persons • ADLs • Disability • Living arrangements

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