Author(s)

Roschelle Heuberger, Karly Caudell

Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, USA.
University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, Ann Arbor, USA.

The goal of this study was to determine whether or not older adults who utilized community nutrition services were more or less able to perform Activities of Daily Living (ADL), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs), or Physical Activities (PA) than non-users. In surveying older adults aged 60 - 103 (n = 1065), it was determined that service users were older, frailer, living alone, and less able to perform ADLs, IADLs, or PAs than non-users. However, within the non-service user group, a subset of nonusers was identified as those who were infirm, malnourished, less active, and unable to perform ADLs. Both users and non-users of community nutrition programs would benefit greatly, with services recalibrated to serve these community-dwelling, but needy older adults.

Older Adult; Social Services; Cross Sectional Study

Heuberger, R. and Caudell, K. (2013) Profiling users and non-users of senior services. Advances in Aging Research, 2, 144-153. doi: 10.4236/aar.2013.24021.