Self-Reported Functional Status Among the Old-Old

Abstract

Objectives: To examine differences in functional status among two successive cohorts. Method: The study was a comparative analysis of Jewish respondents aged 75 to 94 from two nationwide random samples: the Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Aging Study (1989-1992; N = 1,200) and the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (2005-2006; N = 379). Self-reported functional limitation and disability were compared by means of logistic regressions and MANCOVA, controlling for age, gender, origin, education, marital status, income, self-rated health, and home care receipt. Results: Reported functional limitation decreased in the later cohort (SHARE-Israel), but activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) disability increased. Receipt of home care moderated these effects. ADL and IADL disability increased among home care–receiving respondents in the later cohort whereas functional limitation decreased among respondents not in receipt of home care. Discussion: The findings suggest that different measures used to assess the disablement process capture different aspects and that contextual factors influence how older people rate their own functional capacity.