Assistive Device Use Among the Elderly:

Abstract

This study used data files from thc National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), 1990: Assistive Devices Supplement sample of 117,042 adults from the 50 states and the District of Columbia. A subsample of 3,297 persons aged 65 years and oldcr was selected on which to perform secondary analysis on the association of self-reported health status, activity limitation, total number of deviccs reported, and demographic variables. Twenty-three percent of persons aged 65 and older reported any assistive device. Black respondents reported more activity limitations than respondents from other races, but there was no relationship among race and total devices reported. Greater percentages of women than men have more activity limitations as well as report more than one device. Persons not living with a spouse reported more than one device.

Racial Differences of Frail Elders in Assistive Technology

“…Watts, Erickson, Houde , Wilson , and Maynard (1996), using the 1990 National Health Interview Survey on Assistive Devices, found that there was no relationship between race and total number of devices reported. However, this was a sample of the total 65 + population, and subjects reported a mean of only 1.48 as sistive devices owned, versus close to 14 in the study done by Mann, Hurren, and Tomita (1993), who focused on frail elders.…”

Occupational performance in older stroke wheelchair users living at home

“…Wheelchairs are among the most common of all assistive devices used by elderly persons aged 65 and over (Parker and Thorslund, 1991;Redford, 1993;Watts et al, 1996). In Canada, more than 71,000 individuals over the age of 65 reported using a wheelchair in the 1991 Statistics Canada Canadian Health and Activity Limitation Survey.…”