Health at Older Ages
The Causes and Consequences of Declining Disability Among the Elderly
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9780226132327
Health at Older Ages
The Causes and Consequences of Declining Disability Among the Elderly
Americans are living longer—and staying healthier longer—than ever before. Despite the rapid disappearance of pensions and health care benefits for retirees, older people are healthier and better off than they were twenty years ago. In Health at Older Ages, a distinguished team of economists analyzes the foundations of disability decline, quantifies this phenomenon in economic terms, and proposes what might be done to accelerate future improvements in the health of our most elderly populations.
This breakthrough volume argues that educational attainment, high socioeconomic status, an older retirement age, and accessible medical care have improved the health and quality of life of seniors. Along the way, it outlines the economic benefits of disability decline, such as an increased rate of seniors in the workplace, relief for the healthcare system and care-giving families, and reduced medical expenses for the elderly themselves. Health at Older Ages will be an essential contribution to the debate about meeting the medical needs of an aging nation.
This breakthrough volume argues that educational attainment, high socioeconomic status, an older retirement age, and accessible medical care have improved the health and quality of life of seniors. Along the way, it outlines the economic benefits of disability decline, such as an increased rate of seniors in the workplace, relief for the healthcare system and care-giving families, and reduced medical expenses for the elderly themselves. Health at Older Ages will be an essential contribution to the debate about meeting the medical needs of an aging nation.
512 pages | 100 line drawings, 124 tables | 6 x 9 | © 2009
National Bureau of Economic Research Conference Report
Economics and Business: Health Economics
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction
David M. Cutler, David A. Wise, and Richard G. Woodbury
I. DISABILITY TRENDS
1. The Health of Older Men in the Past
Dora L. Costa
2. Arthritis: Changes in its Prevalence during the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries
Paula Canavese and Robert W. Fogel
3. Socioeconomic and Demographic Disparities in Trends in Old-Age Disability
Robert F. Shoeni, Vicki A. Freedman, and Linda G. Martin
II. PATHWAYS TO DISABILITY
4. Pathways to Disability: Predicting Health Trajectories
Florian Heiss, Axel Börsch-Supan, Michael Hurd, and David A. Wise
5. Clinincal Pathways to Disability
Mary Beth Landrum, Kate A. Stewart, and David M. Cutler
III. MEDICAL ADVANCES AND DISABILITY
6. Intensive Medical Care and Cardiovascular Disease Disability Reductions
David M. Cutler, Mary Beth Landrum, and Kate Stewart
7. Are Baby Boomers Aging Better Than Their Predecessors? Trends in Overweight, Arthritis, and Mobility Difficulty
Suzanne G. Leveille, Christina C. Wee, and Lisa I. Iezzoni
8. Disability and Spending Growth
Michael E. Chernew, Dana Goldman, Feng Pan, and Baoping Shang
IV. WORK DISABILITY
9. Work Disability is a Pain in the ****, Especially in England, the Netherlands, and the United States
James Banks, Arie Kapteyn, James P. Smith, and Arthur van Soest
10. Disability Risk and the Value of Disability Insurance
Amitabh Chandra and Andrew A. Samwick
11. Why Are the Disability Rolls Skyrocketing? The Contribution of Population Characteristics, Economic Conditions, and Program Generosity
Mark Duggan and Scott A. Imberman
12. Early Retirement and DI/SSI Applications: Exploring the Impact of Depression
Rena M. Conti, Ernst R. Berndt, and Richard G. Frank
V. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY AND CAREGIVING
13. Trends in Assistance with Daily Activities: Racial/Ethnic and Socioeconomic Disparities Persist in the U.S. Older Population
Vicki A. Freedman, Linda G. Martin,Jennifer Cornman, Emily M. Agree, and Robert F. Schoeni
14. How Do Medicare Beneficiaries with Physical and Sensory Disabilities Feel About Their Health Care?
Lisa I. Iezzoni, Jane R. Soukup, and Suzanne G. Leveille
15. Inter-Spousal Mortality Effects: Caregiver Burden Across the Spectrum of Disabling Disease
Nicholas A. Christakis and Paul D. Allison
Contributors
Author Index
Subject Index
Introduction
David M. Cutler, David A. Wise, and Richard G. Woodbury
I. DISABILITY TRENDS
1. The Health of Older Men in the Past
Dora L. Costa
2. Arthritis: Changes in its Prevalence during the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries
Paula Canavese and Robert W. Fogel
3. Socioeconomic and Demographic Disparities in Trends in Old-Age Disability
Robert F. Shoeni, Vicki A. Freedman, and Linda G. Martin
II. PATHWAYS TO DISABILITY
4. Pathways to Disability: Predicting Health Trajectories
Florian Heiss, Axel Börsch-Supan, Michael Hurd, and David A. Wise
5. Clinincal Pathways to Disability
Mary Beth Landrum, Kate A. Stewart, and David M. Cutler
III. MEDICAL ADVANCES AND DISABILITY
6. Intensive Medical Care and Cardiovascular Disease Disability Reductions
David M. Cutler, Mary Beth Landrum, and Kate Stewart
7. Are Baby Boomers Aging Better Than Their Predecessors? Trends in Overweight, Arthritis, and Mobility Difficulty
Suzanne G. Leveille, Christina C. Wee, and Lisa I. Iezzoni
8. Disability and Spending Growth
Michael E. Chernew, Dana Goldman, Feng Pan, and Baoping Shang
IV. WORK DISABILITY
9. Work Disability is a Pain in the ****, Especially in England, the Netherlands, and the United States
James Banks, Arie Kapteyn, James P. Smith, and Arthur van Soest
10. Disability Risk and the Value of Disability Insurance
Amitabh Chandra and Andrew A. Samwick
11. Why Are the Disability Rolls Skyrocketing? The Contribution of Population Characteristics, Economic Conditions, and Program Generosity
Mark Duggan and Scott A. Imberman
12. Early Retirement and DI/SSI Applications: Exploring the Impact of Depression
Rena M. Conti, Ernst R. Berndt, and Richard G. Frank
V. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY AND CAREGIVING
13. Trends in Assistance with Daily Activities: Racial/Ethnic and Socioeconomic Disparities Persist in the U.S. Older Population
Vicki A. Freedman, Linda G. Martin,Jennifer Cornman, Emily M. Agree, and Robert F. Schoeni
14. How Do Medicare Beneficiaries with Physical and Sensory Disabilities Feel About Their Health Care?
Lisa I. Iezzoni, Jane R. Soukup, and Suzanne G. Leveille
15. Inter-Spousal Mortality Effects: Caregiver Burden Across the Spectrum of Disabling Disease
Nicholas A. Christakis and Paul D. Allison
Contributors
Author Index
Subject Index