1999-2000 Comprehensive Community Assessment

Issue Area Factual Data

 

Issue:

“Needs of Elderly and Disabled Persons Who Want to Remain Independent”

 

 

1. Prevalence of disabilities:

 

·         U.S. Disability Status, Person over age 15, 1994-95: [1]

 

Disability Status	Total	15-21 yrs	22-44 yrs	45-54 yrs	55-64 yrs	65-79 yrs	80 + yrs
With any disability	24.0%	12.1%	14.9%	24.5%	36.3%	47.3%	71.5%
Disability in need of personal assistance with ADLs or IADLs	4.7%	1.2%	1.9%	3.2%	6.1%	11.5%	34.0%

 

·         Indiana: prevalence of people with disability – 9.1%. [2]

 

2. Caregivers for persons with disabilities (Over age 15): [3]

 

 

Relationship of Primary Caregiver to Persons (over age 15)  Receiving Assistance with ADL	Percent Distribution
Spouse	27.9%
Daughter	18.3%
Son	12.7%
Parent	8.6%
Other relative	13.2%
Nonrelative	10.9%
Paid help	8.5%

 

 

3. Caregivers for the elderly: [4]

 

·         Only 7% of households with persons aged 55 and older were caring for an elderly parent in their home;

 

·         Housing arrangements of the elderly (over age 65):

 

Live alone                                 31%

Spouse present                          54%

Live w/someone else                 15%

 

·         Only about 25% of the elderly will live in a nursing home for some period in their lives.

 

4. Transportation options among elderly and disabled:

 

·         Only 13% of disabled in Indiana use public transportation. Of those, 72% report dissatisfaction with service.  [5]

 

5. Depression among elderly/disabled:

 

·         Approximately 9% of the US population suffers from some form of depression, [6] whereas 15% of the those over age 65 suffer from depression. However, less than 1% are considered to have a “major depression”. [7]

·         Elderly white males have the highest rates of suicide of all age groups. [8]

·         The majority of elderly suicides involve depression. [9]

 

6. Education/employment status of disabled:

 

·         73% of disabled received high school degree (compared to 75% for total population) 17% had some college, 14% had post high school degree. [10]

·         Median household income for disabled (Indiana) $25,000; Indiana in total: $36,700. [11]

 

7. Poverty among the elderly:

 

·         The social security program has greatly reduced levels of poverty in the U.S. In 1992, 12.9% of households over age 65 were in poverty, as compared to 14.5% of the total population. [12]

 

8. Elderly out of  work force:[13]

 

 

 

 

·         Elderly men in U.S. in the workforce:

 

Age	1950	1996
55-64	87%	67%
65+	46%	16%

 

·         A Harris survey found that 14% of people over age 65 wanted to work but could not find a suitable job. [14]