Health at older ages : the causes and consequences of declining disability among the elderly / edited by David M. Cutler and David A. Wise.

Introduction / David M. Cutler, David A. Wise and Richard G. Woodbury -- I. Disability Trends -- 1. The Health of Older Men in the Past 2 / Dora L. Costa -- 2. Arthritis: Changes in Its Prevalence during the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries / Paula Canavese and Robert W. Fogel -- 3. Socioeconomic and Demographic Disparities in Trends in Old-Age Disability / Robert F. Schoeni, Vicki A. Freedman and Linda G. Martin -- II. Pathways to Disability -- 4. Pathways to Disability: Predicting Health Trajectories / Florian Heiss, Axel Borsch-Supan, Michael Hurd and David A. Wise -- 5. Clinical Pathways to Disability / Mary Beth Landrum, Kate A. Stewart and David M. Cutler -- III. Medical Advances and Disabiuty -- 6. Intensive Medical Care and Cardiovascular Disease Disability Reductions / David M. Cutler, Mary Beth Landrum and Kate A. Stewart -- 7. Are Baby Boomers Aging Better Than Their Predecessors? Trends in Overweight, Arthritis, and Mobility Difficulty / Suzanne G. Leveille, Christina C. Wee and Lisa I. Iezzoni -- 8. Disability and Spending Growth / Michael E. Chernew, Dana Goldman, Feng Pan and Baoping Shang -- IV. Work Disability -- 9. Work Disability is a Pain in the ****, Especially in England, the Netherlands, and the United States / James Banks, Arie Kapteyn, James P. Smith and Arthur van Soest -- 10. Disability Risk and the Value of Disability Insurance / Amitabh Chandra and Andrew A. Samwick -- 11. Why Are the Disability Rolls Skyrocketing? The Contribution of Population Characteristics, Economic Conditions, and Program Generosity / Mark Duggan and Scott A. Imberman -- 12. Early Retirement and DI/SSI Applications: Exploring the Impact of Depression / Rena M. Conti, Ernst R. Berndt and Richard G. Frank -- V. Assistive Technology and Caregiving -- 13. Trends in Assistance with Daily Activities: Racial/Ethnic and Socioeconomic Disparities Persist in the U.S. Older Population / Vicki A. Freedman, Linda G. Martin, Jennifer Cornman, Emily M. Agree and Robert F.Schoeni -- 14. How Do Medicare Beneficiaries with Physical and Sensory Disabilities Feel About Their Health Care? / Lisa I. Iezzoni, Jane R. Soukup and Suzanne G. Leveille -- 15. Inter-Spousal Mortality Effects: Caregiver Burden Across the Spectrum of Disabling Disease / Nicholas A. Christakis and Paul D. Allison.

"This volume consists of papers presented at a conference held in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in October 2004"--P. xi.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

"Americans are living longer-and staying healthier longer than ever before, despite the rapid disappearance of traditional pensions and health care benefits for retirees. In Health at Older Ages, a distinguished team of economists analyzesthe foundations of disability decline, quantifiesthis phenomenon in economicterms, and proposes what might be done to accelerate future improvements in the health of our most elderly populations." "This breakthrough volume argues that educational attainment, high socioeconomic status, an older retirement age, and accessible medical care have improved the health and quality of life of seniors. Along the way, it outlines the economic benefits of disability decline, such as an increased rate of seniors in the workplace, relief for the healthcare system and caregiving families, and reduced medical expenses for the elderly themselves. Health at Older Ages will be an essential contribution to the debate about meeting the medical needs of an aging nation."--BOOK JACKET.