Analyses of the 2011 National Health and Aging Trends Study and National Study on Caregiving

The economic cost of dependency at older ages is large and projected to grow as the number of older adults increases in the coming decades. Reduced well-being for individuals facing loss of functioning and their families, who provide the bulk of uncompensated care, also is an important societal concern. The purpose of this report is to describe disability and care needs of the older population using baseline (2011) measures from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), a new longitudinal study designed to support understanding of both trends and trajectories in health and disability in later life. Three volumes examine: (1) the impact of functional disability and the extent of activity limitations; (2) the care needs of those with dementia; and (3) the role and experiences of informal caregivers for the older population, using a special supplement to NHATS--the National Survey of Caregiving.