Unmet and undermet need for activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living assistance among adults with disabilities: estimates from the 1994 and 1995 disability follow-back surveys.
BACKGROUND
Accurate assessments of need for disability assistance are essential for effective planning of disability support services, but there is little national data on type and acuity of need.


OBJECTIVE
To more fully delineate the type and magnitude of disability assistance needs across the US population, focusing on factors associated with perceived gaps in assistance.


METHODS
Secondary analysis of national household survey.


METHODS
Twenty-five thousand eight hundred five adults identified as disabled in the 1994 and 1995 National Health Interview Surveys.


METHODS
Self-reported assistance deficits with activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs).


RESULTS
An estimated 3.2 million adults with disabilities have at least one assistance deficit, usually involving IADLs like housework. However, approximately 970 thousand adults report one or more assistance deficits with basic ADLs. Compared to adults with met ADL needs, people with ADL assistance deficits are more likely to live alone, to be in poor health, to be a member of a racial or ethnic minority, and to need help with multiple activities.


CONCLUSIONS
These analyses suggest a relatively high rate of unmet and undermet need for disability assistance in the general population. However, only a small number of these adults report assistance deficits with basic ADLs. This group is a logical target for expanded state or federal personal assistance services programming.
Kennedy
J
J
Department of Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA. jkenned@uiuc.edu
D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000145:classification*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003625:Data Collection; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006306:Health Surveys; D006704:Homemaker Services / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D012923:Social Class; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology