Vocational rehabilitation outcomes among older adults with diabetes

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

There is insufficient research in the vocational rehabilitation literature that examines employment issues among older adults with diabetes.

OBJECTIVE:

The present study analyzed the Rehabilitation Services Administration case service report (RSA-911) for fiscal year 2009 to explore demographic characteristics, public supports, and vocational rehabilitation (VR) service variables impacting employment outcomes of persons age 55 and older who have diabetes as their primary cause of disability. The sample consisted of 1,489 people with diabetes who were closed either a) rehabilitated or b) not rehabilitated by state/federal vocational rehabilitation agencies. Exhaustive chi-squared automatic interaction detector (CHAID) analysis was used to extract predictive information for employment outcomes of older individuals with diabetes.

RESULTS:

The CHAID analysis indicated that receiving rehabilitation technology services increased the probability of competitive employment for the target population. Public supports were significant factors in reducing the likelihood of successful employment among older individuals with diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS:

These findings suggest certain VR services and work disincentives interact to predict the likelihood of employment outcomes among the target population. Vocational counseling implications and suggested research directions are provided to improve employment services and increase employment rates among older adults with diabetes.

Keywords

Older adults diabetes vocational rehabilitation employment CHAID analysis

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