Aging Populations
Those of us who are lucky enough to live to an old age will probably acquire a disability, or prehaps several disabilities. Many of us lose our sight, our hearing, our mobility, and our cognition as we age. In a sense, you could say that disabilities are a natural and expected part of life, and those who do not experience disabilities as they age are actually in the minority.
In countries with life expectancies over 70 years, individuals spend on average about 8 years, or 11.5% of their life span, living with disabilities.
Disability of Persons 65+ Worldwide
| Age | Percentage with Disability |
|---|---|
Any Age | 10% |
70+ | 20% |
80+ | 50% |
Disability by Age (New Zealand, 2013)
| Age Range | Percentage with Disability |
|---|---|
Children under 15 years | 11% |
Adults under 65 | 21% |
65 and over | 59% |
U.S. Population Aged 65 and Over by Number of Disabilities and Age: 2008-2012
| Age | None | One | Two | Three or More |
|---|---|---|---|---|
65 and over | 61.3% | 15.9% | 8.0% | 14.7% |
65 to 74 | 73.6% | 13.9% | 5.5% | 7.0% |
75 to 84 | 55.0% | 18.7% | 9.8% | 16.5% |
85 and over | 27.5% | 17.1% | 13.9% | 41.5% |
U.S. Population Aged 65 and Over by Number of Disabilities, Age, and Sex: 2008-2012
| Type of Disability | Total | Age 65 to 74 | Age 75 to 84 | Age 85 and Over | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vision | 19.2% | 16.5% | 18.2% | 24.9% | 17.6% | 20.4% |
Hearing | 40.4% | 34.9% | 40.6% | 48.1% | 52.0% | 32.3% |
Cognitive | 28.8% | 22.6% | 28.0% | 39.1% | 25.9% | 30.8% |
Ambulatory | 66.5% | 63.6% | 65.2% | 72.8% | 57.1% | 73.1% |
Self-Care | 28.4% | 20.2% | 26.9% | 42.4% | 23.3% | 31.9% |
Independent Living | 47.8% | 34.0% | 47.2% | 68.7% | 37.0% | 55.4% |
Percentage of Persons 65+ with a Disability (United States, 2013)
| Type of Disability | Percentage |
|---|---|
Independent Living | 15% |
Self-Care | 9% |
Ambulatory | 23% |
Cognitive | 9% |
Vision | 7% |
Hearing | 15% |
Any Disability | 36% |