Assistance with personal care activities among the old-old in Israel: A national epidemiological study

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to (1) estimate rates of difficulty, need for assistance, and receipt of assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) among the old-old in Israel; (2) describe the, living arrangements of the dependent old-old; and (3) gain insight into the caregiving provided to the disabled members of this population. DESIGN. A random stratified sample of 1,820 subjects age 75 to 94 selected from the National Population Register (NPR), a complete listing of the Israeli population maintained by the Ministry of the Interior. The study sample consisted of Jews living in Israel on January 1, 1989, stratified by age (four 5-year age groups: 75-79, 80-84, 85-89, 90-94), sex, and place of birth (Europe-America, Middle East/North Africa, Israel). SETTING: National sample of old-old Jewish Israelis. PARTICIPANTS: One thousand eight hundred twenty Israelis age 75 to 94 who were living in the community or in institutions at the time of the baseline interview. MEASUREMENTS: Participants' disability status was classified in terms of difficulty, with, needing help with, and receiving help with any of five ADLs (washing/bathing, dressing, transferring, toileting, and eating). Only those receiving assistance from a person (as opposed to a device) were considered to be receiving help. The independent variables used included sociodemographic, health, and social network characteristics of the participants.