International Evidence on Trends in Disability Among the Elderly

Timothy Waidmann, Kenneth G. Manton

Life expectancy continues to increase in the United States and much of the industrialized world as death rates at older ages decline. But are today's elderly healthier than previous generations or does increased longevity come with increased risk of disability and reduced quality of life? This question is of crucial policy importance, because it affects the public costs of the income, health, and long-term care needs of the elderly population. This report provides a comprehensive review of the evidence, both for the United States and internationally. The most defensible conclusion is that disability rates are falling in most industrialized countries. How fast disability rates are falling is still unclear, however, because wide disparities in the disability measures, field procedures, and sample designs prevent comparability across data sources. (Published by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Asssistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation; 1998 June.)

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