Summary: Studies were conducted to assess the well-being of older people in Cleveland, Ohio, in terms of their social and economic status, mental and physical health, and ability to perform daily tasks. Data were also collected on services provided to this population. Only one of every five older people assessed was not impaired, while about 23 percent were generally impaired or worse, including 7 percent who were extremely impaired. Some older people who could benefit from medical services had not received them, while others who were not physically impaired were receiving medical services as a preventive measure. Most of the people receiving social or recreational services were not assessed as being socially impaired. Although most neighborhoods with a high agency service level were located in the low-income, inner portion of the city, many older people living in higher-income neighborhoods have both the low income and assessed well-being that indicates they could benefit from services. Many older people were found to be eligible for federal programs, but were not using the services for which they were eligible, indicating that older persons may be willing to accept only certain types of services and not others.
