Abstract
A national study of community-based spinal cord-injured male veterans was conducted by telephone interviews using a modified version of the Older Americans Resources and Services (OARS) Questionnaire (developed at Duke University). The final sample included 719 veterans showing varying degrees of impairment in five levels of functioning: social resources (29.5%), economic resources (40.9%), mental health (19.1%), physical health (62.5%), and activities of daily living (54.5%). Compared to representative community samples of elderly men, aging spinal cord-injured veterans are at greater risk of impairment in four of five dimensions of functioning and are more likely to have impairments in multiple dimensions. More than 90% used supportive devices and prostheses, transportation, and medical services. Two-thirds used homemaker-household services, and approximately one-half used personal care, checking, and meal preparation services. A larger proportion of spinal cord-injured male veterans used services than did older men in two other samples, reflecting greater impairments in functioning as well as the existence of multiple chronic conditions five or more years after injury.
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