Utilization of community-based services in 1999 by older individuals in Erie County, Ohio. (Social Science, Environmental, Field Biology Poster Session 02:00 PM-03:00 PM).

Smith, Bruce W. ; Zhou, Yu

BOARD 09

Maintaining one's independence as one grows older is a concern for individuals and their families. Thus, delivering services to assist older individuals in maintaining their independence and generally enhancing their quality of life is an important issue. The utilization of sixteen community-based services by the elderly in Erie County, Ohio is analyzed. The data are from a 1999 needs assessment. The respondents did not heavily utilize services, with only 53.7% of the respondents using at least one of the sixteen services included in the survey. Only 23.4% of the respondents used three or more services. Home maintenance services and social activities were more commonly used than legal, financial, transportation, and nutrition services. Comparatively low utilization rates are likely the result of the respondents being in fairly good health, relatively young, and most having adequate incomes. Stepwise logistic regression analysis identified two variables as being significantly related to service utilization: age and income. Persons aged over 75 having incomes below the poverty level had the greatest probability of service use (0.875). In contrast, persons aged 60 to 74 with incomes above the poverty level had the lowest probability of use (0.459). These results are consistent with findings reported from other areas of the country.

BRUCE W. SMITH BSMITH4@BGNET.BGSU.EDU AND YU ZHOU YZHOU@BGNET.BGSU.EDU, DEPT OF GEOGRAPHY, BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY, BOWLING GREEN OH 43403