The study looks at the level and types of functional disabilities of a random sample of elderly individuals in the community through direct interviews using a questionnaire in 1992 and compares the results with those obtained from a similar study conducted in 1982.
Two hundred and eighty-three elderly individuals aged 60 years and above were studied. In the activities of daily living (ADL) category, most elderly individuals were independent in dressing (96.1%), bathing (98.4%), preparing meals (92.6%) and using the toilet (89.4%). There was increasing disability in the instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), in ascending order of difficulty: light chores (81.3% independent), shopping (67.8% independent) and heavy chores (60.1% independent). Eight (2.8%) of the elderly were confined to bed most of the time.
Comparing the results with the 1982 cohort, the 1992 cohort was more dependent, with significant increases in difficulty with dressing, using the toilet, bathing and higher functional activities. There was also a significant increase in the number of elderly confined to bed most of the time, from 1% to 2.8%. The only activity that showed a reverse trend was food preparation.
The trend towards increasing dependence among the elderly deserves further study to examine the possible reasons for the increasing disabilities in the elderly population, especially as the population is ageing rapidly.
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The author(s) declare there are no affiliations with or involvement in any organisation or entity with any financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.
