The Well-Being of Older People in Cleveland, Ohio

The overall well-being of older people in Cleveland, Ohio, was assessed in terms of their social and economic status, mental and physical health, and ability to do daily tasks. Information was gathered on the services offered by 23 federal programs and other services and factors which could affect the well-being of the individuals in the sample.

Only one of every five of the more than 1,600 people 65 years and older interviewed was not impaired in some way, with 23-percent impaired in at least four of the five areas considered. About $67 million in federal funds is spent annually for services to older people in Cleveland, with Medicare, Medicaid, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs accounting for $58 million of this. The rest comes from 23 federal programs administered by seven agencies, including the Departments of Agriculture; Health, Education, and Welfare; Housing and Urban Development; Labor; and Transportation. Older people also receive a variety of services from 118 social service agencies and from family and friends. Many older people were eligible for federal programs but were not using them. Eighty-nine percent of those eligible were not using public housing; 77 percent were not using food stamps; 52 percent were not using SSI; and 29 percent were not using Medicaid.