Successful Aging Through Successful Accommodation With Assistive Devices

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Rehabilitation Science
• Assistive Technology

Background:

• Aging populations experience capacity declines impacting daily activities.
• Assistive devices and environmental modifications can facilitate continued independence.
• Understanding successful accommodation is key to supporting older adults.

Purpose of the Study:

• To profile older adults who successfully accommodate declines in capacity using assistive devices.
• To estimate the prevalence, incidence, and persistence of successful accommodation.
• To describe characteristics and outcomes of those successfully accommodating limitations.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the National Health and Aging Trends Study for national estimates.
• Analyzed data on mobility and self-care activity limitations.
• Employed regression models to predict successful accommodation and its impact on wellbeing and participation.

Main Results:

• Approximately 25% of older adults successfully accommodate limitations.
• Successful accommodation is more common in older age groups (80-89), those with more children, and in accessible homes.
• These individuals report similar wellbeing and only slightly reduced participation compared to those fully able.

Conclusions:

• Facilitating successful accommodation is crucial for promoting participation and wellbeing in later life.
• Interventions should focus on enabling older adults to adapt to functional declines.
• Assistive devices and home modifications are vital components of successful aging.