Age and Ability...

The New Reality

Continued medical advances in prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of many diseases traditionally associated with older people are adding quality, as well as the number of healthier years, to their lives.

Only 4-5 percent of our older friends or relatives are   institutionalized at any one time.

This means that 94-95 percent of all older people are living independently in the same kind of house, drive the same kind of cars, and use the same kinds of household products as do younger people.

Still, the likelihood of acquiring a health problem or physical limitation increases with age.

According to the National center for Health Ítatistics (NCHS), Adults aged 80 and over are 2.5 times as likely to have one or more phsical limitations as adults aged 50-59 (43% and 17%, respectively).

Consider these facts:

1. An estimated 46 million Americans—one in five —have arthritis. It's the number one cause of limitation and movement in the United States, disabling over 7-million individuals—of all ages.

2. Problems related to stiffness or paralysis affect 5 million households, or about 60 percent of all elderly households.

3. Accidents are the 6th leading cause of death for people 65 and older, with falls the single leading cause of injury mortality in this group.

4. While not all older people acquire severe physical or sensory limitations, the percentages of leading chronic conditions for this group are:

   • arthritis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50.2%
   • high blood pressure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36.4%
   • heart disease. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32.5%
   • hearing impairment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28.6%
   • cataracts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16.6%
   • deformity of orthopedic impairment . . . . . . . . . .16.6%
     
     
5. Thirty four million of us, of all ages, have some form of functional limitation. Surprisingly, 29 million are under age 65 and 14 million are under age 55.
   

Age and Disability

In past generations, only a few people lived to old age and those who did usually acquired a disability (the benefits of today’s miraculous medical breakthroughs were not available to them).

But, over time, the collective, negative images “old age” gradually became associated with “disability” —  and were reinforced by emerging myths and stereotypes.

It's a mistake, however, to inseparably link advanced age with impairments and disabilities.

While, most physical and sensory limitations do occur in older people, most of us don’t realize that functional limitations can hit people of any age—and we don't have to be old to acquire them!

Such conditions related to declines in vision, hearing, touch, and movement cause frustrations and accidents, limit one's independence.

Because physical and sensory limitations can—and do— occur during our younger years, transgenerational design extends its benefits to those temporary disabilities that we acquire throughout our lives, such as falls, sprains, burns, broken bones, and even pregnancy, which limit our activities and curtail our independence.

Chronic Health Problems

The incidence of chronic health problems also increases with age. This causes long lasting limitations in such activities of daily living as walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting and carrying.

As a result, most of us can look forward to acquiring at least one chronic, age-related, health condition such as arthritis, high blood pressure, heart disease, osteoporosis, or other physical or sensory impairments.

We remain vulnerable throughout our lives to the unexpected distress of accidental falls, sprains, burns, broken bones, illness, and infection or other changes in our lives—like pregnancy.

Falls and Accidental Injuries

To compound the problem, few people realize that falls are the single leading cause of injury mortality for people 65 and older—and you don’t have to be old to fall.

Fourteen million under the age of 55 have acquired functional limitations! Does your home, and do your household products, help prevent falls and accidental injuries?

The 'Transgenerational' Solution.

"Transgenerational" products and environments help people—and families—of all ages and abilities maintain their normal lifestyle. They reduce accidents; relieve frustration; maintain one's dignity, minimize the need for assistance; and extend our precious independence.

Everyone benefits!

Products and environments designed from a "transgenerational" perspective can help all of us maintain a normal life style by reducing frustrations and accidents, limiting the assistance required, and extending precious independence.

We can help you create such designs!