Most People over 65 Need Help in Daily Life

Two-thirds of people over 65 need some kind of help with activities of daily living such as bathing and dressing, a new study finds. The study included more than 8,000 people over 65. All but 500 lived in their own homes. Researchers interviewed them. About 25% said they got help with daily activities from changes in the home, such as grab bars, or devices such as a cane. Another 18% used such devices but still had problems with some activities. About 6% cut back on daily activities because of such problems. And 21% needed help from another person. Only 31% were able to do all activities of daily living with no help. Age made a difference. About 45% of those ages 65 to 69 got by without help, compared with only 4% of those in their 90s. Nearly 90% could feed themselves without help, but half needed help with bathing.