Experiences and Concerns
Work Experiences
Many older adults with disabilities bring deep experience and valuable skills to the workplace, and today’s job market includes many roles and environments where they can work. Most employers are required to offer reasonable accommodations under the ADA which helps support success on the job. Some workplaces may be more inclusive and accessible than others. Workers with disabilities consistently show lower full-time employment rates, fewer working hours and lower wages across various sectors. Notably, upwards of 60% of all employees with disabilities choose not to disclose their disability at work. Reasons for nondisclosure include fear of discrimination, stigma, wanting to ensure job security and a lack of awareness about available accommodation in the workplace.
Research indicates that if older adults experience a disabling condition after age 55, over half have stopped working by age 59, compared to just under 13% of people without a disability.
Health & Healthcare
My biggest fear is that the recent cuts to health care will render the protections for pre-existing conditions null, making it costly, if not impossible, for the disabled to afford health care, especially considering I have seven more years until I qualify for Medicare.
-Woman in her 50s
Health care access and affordability is an important issue for many older Americans. Paying for health-related expenses is a major concern for most people with disabilities, with 91% saying affording health care expenses is extremely or very important.
For many people with disabilities, health care affordability issues are a source of stress, with 44% saying these issues negatively affect their well-being.
Adults with disabilities frequently encounter a variety of challenges and obstacles that can make it difficult for them to receive the same quality of health care as those without disabilities. Some feel they are ostracized, ignored, or underserved in medical settings. More than a third of adults with disabilities report being rushed through medical visits, and 32% of adults with disabilities reported unfair treatment in health care settings (doctors’ offices, clinics or hospitals) in the prior year compared with 10% of adults without disabilities.
It is important to acknowledge the need for mental health support for people with disabilities, including for individuals whose disabilities primarily involve physical conditions.
Adults 45-plus with disabilities are 2.5 times more likely to experience both anxiety and depression compared to their peers without disabilities, with rates reaching 52% and 57%, respectively.
Social Connections
Loneliness and a lack of community can be a challenge among older adults overall, and adults 50-plus with disabilities often face compounding barriers to social connections. Hearing-related conditions in particular create barriers for social interaction. Research shows that people with hearing loss are at a greater risk of depression and social withdrawal, which can lead to isolation and loneliness. This isolation can have tragic consequences, with isolated seniors facing a 45% greater mortality risk.
In addition, lack of accessible transportation can create barriers preventing those with disabilities from participating in social activities, especially for people in rural areas.
Long-Term Care and Caregiving
Planning for long-term care is a top concern for older Americans with disabilities, but long-term care can be challenging and expensive. In fact, unpaid family care for older adults with significant disabilities averages $204,000 in value. Public sources such as Medicaid and Medicare account for the bulk of long-term care spending, but there is still considerable unmet need. This shortfall can create a harmful spiral: high costs prohibit access to care, which in turn results in more health risks and can lead to worsening of existing health conditions, negative health outcomes, and higher disability levels.
In many cases, unpaid family caregivers must fill in the gaps when services are unavailable or unaffordable.
Family caregiving can have challenges and stresses, both for the caregiver and the care recipient.
The caregiving role can be even more challenging when the caregiver is older and/or also has a disability or chronic health condition. The physical and emotional demands of caregiving often lead to neglected self-care, with caregivers experiencing higher rates of stress-related health conditions.
About 1 in 5 family caregivers has a disability, more than one-third (36%) are working either full or part time and 1 in 4 are sandwich generation caregivers, managing their own health conditions while caring for a child under 18 and an adult with complex needs.
Percent who say caregiving is an emotional or financial strain
Among family caregivers 50+
Financial Impacts
Financially speaking, a disability can impact older Americans on several fronts, including the likelihood of having to decrease their hours or stop working completely. This reduction in income can cause significant consequences, as people with disabilities tend to have more expenses (e.g., increased health care needs) than those without a disability.
For older people with disabilities, the financial impact goes beyond income. As previously mentioned, adults 50-plus with disabilities often incur costs related to health care, long-term care, housing modifications and other expenses. They are also less likely to feel confident about their financial security in retirement. More than half (61%) of disability-affected retirees said they saved less than was needed for retirement, compared with 41% of non–disability-affected retirees.
Poverty rates among older people with disabilities tend to decrease after 65, which is likely due at least in part to eligibility for Social Security benefits and access to safety net programs and other resources available to people who have reached retirement age.
Percent who say they saved less than needed for retirement
Among retirees, by disability status
Daily Life & Outlook
Older people with disabilities have unique challenges and too often experience economic, social and health disparities. At the same time, people living with disabilities have distinct strengths and contributions to share. Most feel supported (and motivated to support others). The majority (85%) say they receive sufficient support for daily activities, and 86% say they make an effort to be there for others when needed.
When thinking about the future, adults 50-plus with disabilities express a range of emotions related to their current state of mind, getting older and their future outlooks. They are generally optimistic about the future, with 70% saying they are confident their lives will continue to improve.