Miami University

Projections of Ohio’s Older Disabled Population: 2015 to 2050
Shahla A. Mehdizadeh
Suzanne R. Kunkel
P. Neal Ritchey
2001

Full Report (PDF, 29 pages)
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This report focuses on the growth of the older population overall, and on growth among the segment of the older people who will experience some limitation in their ability to perform basic activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, and preparing meals. The tremendous growth of this latter group requires careful examination of current approaches to long-term care, development and testing of innovative strategies for local and state response to the needs of the older population, and thoughtful long-range planning.

Key Findings:

• The composition of Ohio’s older population in Ohio will nearly double, growing from 1.5 million to 2.9 million.
• The proportion of women in the older population, especially among the oldest old will continue to increase.
• Disability prevalence increases substantially with age. A higher proportion of women than men are disabled in every age category.
• The number of older people with disability needing assistance with their daily activities will exceed one million by the year 2050.
• Older women are more likely than older men to live alone, to have inadequate economic resources, and to experience disability.

Policy Implications:
The major demographic shifts that will be upon us in the near future, the changes that are already taking place within long-term care, and the financial strains on the current system compel us to consider varied and innovative approaches. The state of Ohio, the private sector, the research community, service providers, planners, and legislators have an opportunity over the next fifteen years to engage in creative dialogue about how best to met the needs of our aging population.

Conclusions:
This report presents the dramatic growth that will take place in Ohio’s older population over the next several decades. Within this growing older population which will reach , nearly 3 million by 2050, the greatest increase will be among those who are 85 and older. The number of people in the oldest age group will exceed the number who are 75 to 84. The unprecedented shift in the composition of the older population reflects the aging of the Baby Boom cohort. This shift has significant implications for the future of health and long-term care services in the state.

Full Report (PDF, 29 pages)

This research was funded as part of a grant from the Ohio General Assembly, through the Ohio Board of Regents to the Ohio Long-Term Care Research Project.

To obtain information concerning the cost and to order printed copies of the full report, contact Scripps Gerontology Center at: 513/529-2914 or scripps@muohio.edu.

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