Trends in the use of assistive technology and personal care for late-life disability, 1992-2001.

We describe national trends during the 1990s in late-life difficulty and assistance with self-care activities. Among older Americans living in the community and experiencing difficulty with self-care activities, assistive-technology use increased substantially whereas use of personal care declined. Using a decomposition technique, we demonstrate that these shifts in assistance toward technology account for half the decline in the number of people dependent on personal care.