# BUFFERS OF IMPAIRMENT-DISABILITY CASCADE AMONG THE OLD

> **NIH NIH R01** · CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY · 1992 · $247,967

## Abstract

Disability among the old-old leads to diminished quality of life and a
disproportionate amount of health care resource use.  There is increasing
recognition that efforts to decrease disability among the elderly must be
based on a better understanding of factors which slow down the cascade from
chronic illness to organ-level physical impairment to disability.
Progression along this cascade is not inevitable, but may be buffered by
personal and social resources, preventive adaptations and impairment-
relevant ameliorative adaptations.

We have a unique opportunity to study a comprehensive model of this cascade
and its buffers on a sample of the 660 elderly, age 75+, who are enrolled
in an ongoing NIA-funded MERIT award study of Florida retirees.  A three
wave longitudinal design will be used in conjunction with data collection
in the ongoing study.  The proposed new study will introduce performance-
based assessments of physical impairment, additional measures of specific
adaptations to impairment, and time use measures of social disability.  The
study will take advantage of existing measures of chronic illness, personal
(ADL/IADL) disability, health promotion activities, and social,
psychological and economic resources.

Descriptive analyses will characterize the illness - impairment -disability
cascade and its effects on quality of life and health care use, and will
identify the range of adaptations activated by the elderly to deal with
their impairments.  Least squares regression and structural equation
modeling will be used to test a comprehensive model of buffers of this
cascade.  Findings from the proposed study will be useful to policy makers,
service providers and others attempting to minimize disability and enhance
quality of life among the elderly.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3122707
- **Project number:** 1R01AG010738-01
- **Recipient organization:** CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY
- **SAM.gov UEI:** HJMKEF7EJW69
- **Principal Investigator:** KURT C STANGE
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1992
- **Award amount:** $247,967
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 1992-06-05 → 1996-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3122707

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3122707, BUFFERS OF IMPAIRMENT-DISABILITY CASCADE AMONG THE OLD (1R01AG010738-01). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3122707. Licensed CC0.

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