title: Does assistive technology substitute for personal assistance among the disabled elderly?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined whether use of equipment (technological assistance) to cope with disability was associated with use of fewer hours of help from another person (personal assistance).
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cross-sectional study of 2368 community dwellers older than 65 years with 1 or more limitations in basic activities of daily living (ADLs) from the 1994 National Long Term Care Survey, the relation between technological assistance and personal assistance was examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among people with ADL limitations, multivariate models showed a strong and consistent relation between technological assistance and personal assistance, whereby use of equipment was associated with fewer hours of help.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among people with disability, use of assistive technology was associated with use of fewer hours of personal assistance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine/Geriatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA. helen.hoenig@duke.edu
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hoenig
authors.forename: Donald H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Frank A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Sloan
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000145:classification*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003072:Cognition Disorders; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006704:Homemaker Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D012656:Self-Help Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States; D014600:Utilization Review