Freedman, Vicki A., and Linda G. Martin. Understanding Trends in Functional Limitations Among Older Americans. The authors of this study examined recent trends in functional limitations and attempted to determine the reasons for these trends. They chose to focus on measures such as lifting and carrying, walking, and seeing rather than the more traditional ADL and IADL measures. The SIPP follows a representative sample of the household-based population for two years with interviews three times a year.
Information is collected using a detailed topical section on health and disability.
Findings from 1984 and 1993 only are included for simplification. A comparison of 1984 and 1993 shows that the proportion of disabled decreased from 21.1 percent to 19.5 percent translating into a relative annual decline of 0.7 percent. The authors suggest that these results indicate a dramatic change in the composition of the elderly population, especially those under the age of 80. Older people are functioning better and are better educated leading to beneficial changes in lifestyle. These changes include access to care, ability to modify one's environment, and ability to understand and comply with physician's instructions.