Latest disability trends: Oldest old improving but Boomers doing worse
October 30, 2012
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ANN ARBOR, Mich.—The oldest old are doing better and those approaching late life are doing worse. But Americans between the ages of 65 and 84 are experiencing about the same level of disabilities as they did at the start of the 21st century. Those are the key findings a new study of trends in late-life activity limitations that harmonizes the findings of five independent national surveys of more than 40,000 Americans.
The study, funded by the National Institute on Aging, was published online today by the peer-reviewed journal Demography. Conducted by a team of researchers from several U.S. universities and think tanks, the study is the most comprehensive analysis to date of how well older Americans are able to carry out daily living tasks independently. (more…)