Title | Self-care and assistance from others in coping with functional status limitations among a national sample of older adults. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 1995 |
Authors | Norburn, JE, Bernard, SL, Konrad, TR, Woomert, A, DeFriese, GH, Kalsbeek, WD, Koch, GG, Ory, MG |
Journal | The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences |
Volume | 50 |
Issue | 2 |
Pagination | S101-9 |
Date Published | 1995 Mar |
ISSN | 1079-5014 |
Keywords | Activities of Daily Living, Age Factors, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Data Collection, Disabled Persons, Female, Homemaker Services, Humans, Logistic Models, Male, Medicare, Multivariate Analysis, Orthopedic Equipment, Self Care, Self-Help Devices, Socioeconomic Factors, United States |
Abstract | Using data from the first wave of a new longitudinal data set collected in the late fall and winter of 1990-1991, the National Survey of Self-Care and Aging (NSSCA), we examined older adults' self-care practices in coping with functional status limitations based on in-person interviews with a national probability sample of 3,485 noninstitutionalized adults aged 65 or older selected from Medicare beneficiary files. A composite score of functional status was calculated to reflect the presence and severity of disability in three dimensions: basic, mobility, and instrumental activities of daily living. Three types of self-care coping strategies were defined: use of equipment or devices, changes in behavior, and modifications in one's environment. National estimates of self-care practices, assistance from others, and functional status measures were presented. Data revealed that the likelihood of engaging in self-care coping strategies increased as the severity of disability increased, except among the most severely disabled. Generally, those receiving assistance from others were more likely to engage in self-care activities, suggesting that receiving assistance supplements, rather than supplants, self-care coping strategies. |
Alternate Journal | J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci |
PubMed ID | 7757838 |