Incorporating Assistive Devices into Community-Based Long-Term Care

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Predictors of assistive technology abandonment.

B. Phillips, H. Zhao (1993)

Technology abandonment may have serious repercussions for individuals with disabilities and for society. The purpose of this study was to determine how technology users decide to accept or reject assistive devices. Two hundred twenty-seven adults with various disabilities responded to a survey on device selection, acquisition, performance, and use. Results showed that 29.3% of all devices were completely abandoned. Mobility aids were more frequently abandoned than other categories of devices, and abandonment rates were highest during the first year and after 5 years of use. Four factors were significantly related to abandonment--lack of consideration of user opinion in selection, easy device procurement, poor device performance, and change in user needs or priorities. These findings suggest that technology-related policies and services need to emphasize consumer involvement and long-term needs of consumers to reduce device abandonment and enhance consumer satisfaction.

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Disability as a Public Health Outcome in the Aging Population

Jack Guralnik, Linda P Fried, Marcel E. Salive (1996)

Improvements in life expectancy in the twentieth century have resulted from major declines in mortality at younger ages, but it is less well recognized that mortality declines at older ages have also played a substantial role in prolonging expectation of life. A person reaching age 65 in 1900 could expect to live an additional 11.9 years. Life expectancy at age 65 rose to 14.4 years by 1960 and then increased by about three years in the next three decades, reaching 17.5 years in 1992 (56, 70). As a greater proportion of the population survives to very old ages, the public health impact of the burden of disease and disability and related utilization of medical care and need for supportive and long-term care has become an important concern. In particular, the ability of the older person to function independently in the community is a critically important public health issue. A growing body of research in the last decade has addressed the measurement of disability, factors related to its onset, consequences of disability, and the potential for preventive interventions. This article summarizes the state of the art in these areas and discusses their public health relevance.