Maintaining functional independence in elderly adults: the roles of health status and financial resources in predicting home modifications and use of mobility equipment.
OBJECTIVE
We investigated whether health status (i.e., need characteristics) and financial resources (i.e., enabling characteristics) were important predictors of two types of functional adaptations among elderly adults: home modifications such as putting nonslip tape on rugs or installing more telephones and use of equipment for mobility or activities of daily living (ADLs) such as canes or walkers.


METHODS
Participants were identified from the National Survey of Self-Care and Aging (n = 3,485), a nationally representative sample of noninstitutionalized U.S. adults aged 65 and older. Need and enabling characteristics were used to predict home modifications and equipment use in multinomial logistic analysis, controlling for predisposing characteristics.


RESULTS
Although several health-status (need) variables had significant, direct effects on functional adaptations, the effects of ADL limitations were diminished at higher levels of impairment. Among the financial (enabling) variables, subjective income measures and supplemental insurance had significant, direct effects on functional adaptations.


CONCLUSIONS
Promotion of functional adaptations among elderly people may benefit from both a proactive approach that targets elders with few limitations and a consideration of financial factors in addition to health status.
Mathieson
Kathleen M
KM
Department of Sociology, Arizona State University, Tempe 85287-2101, USA. kmathieson@asu.edu
Kronenfeld
Jennie Jacobs
JJ
Keith
Verna M
VM
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006304:Health Status; D006794:Household Articles; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D016345:Medicare Part B / Q000191:economics*; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D012648:Self Care / Q000191:economics*; D012656:Self-Help Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States