Getting older--feeling younger: the changing health profile of the elderly

In 1981 a survey was undertaken of the physical and mental health and social status of all those aged 75 years and over belonging to a large general practice which alone served the town of Melton Mowbray and its surrounding area. Seven years later the survey was repeated. This elderly population had increased by almost 30% in number between the two surveys despite a relatively stable practice population over this time period. After adjustment for the different age and sex distributions of the two survey populations, significant increases in independence levels were found over the time period for: getting in and out of a chair and bed, dressing, bathing and getting to and from the toilet. No differences were found for mobility around the home, feeding or continence of urine or faeces. A higher prevalence of cognitive impairment was found in 1988 than in 1981, 7.0% compared with 4.5%, but this appeared to be due to the larger number of unclassifiable respondents in 1981. A re-analysis of the data, excluding those living in the area less than five years confirmed that the differences found in health over time were not due to a group of elderly migrating into the area. This study provides evidence that the elderly of today appear fitter than previous cohorts of elderly. Service planners will need to take this into account if sensible provision of resources for this age group are to be made.