Why Assess Older Adults Ability to Perform Activities of Daily Living?
There are 36 million people ages 65 and older in the United States, making up roughly 12% of the population, according to 2003 U.S. Census Bureau data.4 This figure is expected to more than double to 87 million-20% of the population-by 2050.5According to the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics, 13% of men and 20% of women ages 65 to 74 in 2002 reported that they were unable to perform at least one activity of daily living (ADL); the percentages rose to 35% of men and 58% of women among those 85 or older in the survey group.5 A 2005 survey by the MetLife Mature Market Institute found that 50% of nursing home residents require assistance with five ADLs.6Functional decline in hospitalized older adults can have devastating consequences. A 2004 study of 1,147 adults in the United States ages 66 and older (mean age, 74 years) found that functional dependence significantly predicted later institutionalization.7 A similar study in 2005 of 2,805 older adults in Australia found
