Chronic disease, memory impairment and depressive symptoms affect large numbers of older individuals and the risk of such problems increases with age. Despite the prevalence of illness or chronic conditions, the proportion of Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older with a chronic disability was 21 percent in 1994, down from 24 percent in 1982. People 85 and older are the most likely Americans to live in nursing homes. In 1997, only 11 people per thousand age 65 to 74 lived in a nursing home, compared to 192 people per thousand age 85 and older. For those who receive home care, the nature of assistance may be changing.
Most home care is provided informally by family, friends and the community.
The percentage of older people receiving only informal care dropped from 74 percent in 1982 to 64 percent in 1994, while the use of combined formal and informal care increased from 21 percent to 28 percent during the same period. The report is the result of efforts of a consortium of U.S. government agencies working together to improve the quality and usefulness of data for older Americans.