TITLE:
Profiling users and non-users of senior services
AUTHORS:
Roschelle Heuberger, Karly Caudell
KEYWORDS:
Older Adult; Social Services; Cross Sectional Study
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Aging Research,
Vol.2 No.4,
October
28,
2013
ABSTRACT: The goal of this study was to determine whether or not older adults who utilized community nutrition services were more or less able to perform Activities of Daily Living (ADL), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs), or Physical Activities (PA) than non-users. In surveying older adults aged 60 - 103 (n = 1065), it was determined that service users were older, frailer, living alone, and less able to perform ADLs, IADLs, or PAs than non-users. However, within the non-service user group, a subset of nonusers was identified as those who were infirm, malnourished, less active, and unable to perform ADLs. Both users and non-users of community nutrition programs would benefit greatly, with services recalibrated to serve these community-dwelling, but needy older adults.