Self-reported functional status among the old-old: A comparison of two Israeli cohorts

Objectives: To examine differences in functional status among two successive cohorts. Method: The study was a comparative analysis of Jewish respondents aged 75 to 94 from two nationwide random samples: the Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Aging Study (1989-1992; N = 1,200) and the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (2005-2006; N = 379). Self-reported functional limitation and disability were compared by means of logistic regressions and MANCOVA, controlling for age, gender, origin, education, marital status, income, self-rated health, and home care receipt. Results: Reported functional limitation decreased in the later cohort (SHARE-Israel), but activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) disability increased. Receipt of home care moderated these effects. ADL and IADL disability increased among home care-receiving respondents in the later cohort whereas functional limitation decreased among respondents not in receipt of home care. Discussion: The findings suggest that different measures used to assess the disablement process capture different aspects and that contextual factors influence how older people rate their own functional capacity.