Just Getting By: Unmet Need for Personal Assistance Services Among Persons 50 or Older with Disabilities

Abstract

This In Brief summarizes key findings of the AARP Public Policy Institute issue paper, Just Getting By: Unmet Needs for Personal Assistance Services Among Persons 50 or Older with Disabilities, by Mary Jo Gibson and Saty Verma. Persons with disabilities who do not receive all of the assistance they need with essential activities, such as bathing, dressing, and cooking, face daily challenges in doing simple things that people without disabilities take for granted. If their needs remain unmet, they are at risk for more severe disability, hospitalization, and institutionalization.