Needs in the Home:
The data reported below at the Census Tract Level of analysis shows the distribution of the population 65 and older (the size of the pie diagrams) and the presence of persons with one or more disabilities. The "Self Help" disability is separated out. Persons with these disabilities require some assistance in eating, dressing or bathing.
Nearly all census tracts have at least one quarter of the senior population with one or more disabilities. In a few census tracts in Charlottesville and several of the outlying rural census tracts, one-half or more of the senior population have disabilities of some kind. In some instances these census tracts are also those with larger numbers of individuals in group care institutions.
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How was this data collected?
The data on disability status were derived from answers to long-form Census questionnaire items.
One question asked about the existence of the following long lasting conditions: blindness, deafness or a severe vision or hearing impairment (sensory disability) and a condition that substantially limits one or more basic physical activities (physical disability). The second question asked if the individual had a physical, mental, or emotional condition lasting 6 months or more that made it difficult to perform certain activities, including:
- learning, remembering or concentrating (mental disability)
- dressing, bathing, or getting around inside the home (self-care disability)
- going outside the home alone to shop or visit a doctor’s office (going outside the home disability)
Individuals were classified as having a disability if they had a sensory, physical, mental or self-care disability or if they had a going outside the home disability.
To condense these levels into three broader categories, each were defined as a sum of certain disability levels. Disabled was defined as the sum of sensory disability, physical disability, mental disability, go-outside-home disability, and two or more disabilities not including self-care disability. Self-Care Disability is defined as the sum of self-care disability and two or more disabilities including self-care.
The original variables used in the calculation of these values are from table PCT26, Data Points PCT026043-47, 49-51, 93-97, 99-101.
Needs when going outside the Home:
The dots in the following map are randomly distributed within each census tract. They show the distribution of persons 65 and older by gender who need assistance when traveling outside the home as to a doctor's appointment, pharmacy or shopping. Some of these are also likely in group quarter living situations, but do not show up as clustered since this data is reported only at the census tract level.
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Seniors without Cars:
While we do not know whether these same individuals live in households without vehicles, many households headed by persons 55 years of age and older do not have a car or other vehicle available for use. They rely on friends, neighbors, taxis or public transport when they need to get to services outside their neighborhood.
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Disabilities and Poverty:
Physical needs are amplified if there are few financial resources with which to purchase accommodations. The following map shows the distribution of those below poverty as well as those with disabilities. These two groups are the prospective clients of many of JABA's services. Again, central city neighborhoods and outlying rural census tracts have a larger share of these needs.
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The magnitude of the poverty and disability need is shown in the following table:
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