Researchers say percentage of elderly with disabilities is on the decline

Good news for older Americans: Disability rates among the elderly are declining even as people are living longer, according to a study by Duke University researchers.

The study found that 21.3 percent of the elderly were classified as disabled in 1994 compared to 24.9 percent in 1982. The study examined data collected in 1982, 1984, 1989, and 1994 from 36,000 people 65 and older. It was published last month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

People were classified as disabled if they were unable to perform activities such as cooking, bathing, dressing, grocery shopping, traveling to physician appointments, and taking medications without help.

The study found that 6.4 million elderly people were disabled in 1982. The 1994 figure was 7.1 million, about 1.2 million fewer than expected if 1982 rates had continued. “We believe there is a decline in disability that has been ongoing for a long time, probably for several decades,” said Eric Stallard, a research professor and associate director of the Duke Center for Demographic Studies in Durham, N.C.

The decline in disabilities is attributed in part to medical advances resulting in fewer invasive procedures, improved pharmaceuticals, and reduced complication risks.

Because almost 99 percent of Americans over 65 are enrolled in Medicare, health insurance is virtually assured for all elderly, Stallard said. Improvements in public health such as a stable, healthy food supply and vaccinations also have contributed to the decline.

Decreases in the incidence of disease also are a factor, he said, noting that the death rate from stroke declined 37 percent from 1979 to 1992 and the death rate from diseases of the heart (not including heart attacks) declined 28 percent in the same time.

“The diseases causing disabilities are declining,” Stallard said. “These are incredibly huge declines over short periods of time.”