Overview
Dataset Summary
The National Health and Aging Trends Survey (NHATS) and its companion National Study of Caregiving (NSOC) comprise a nationally representative longitudinal panel study of Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older in the United States.
NHATS focuses on late-life disability trends, physical and cognitive functioning, and care environments. Key strengths include inclusion of individuals living in residential care and nursing facilities, objective physical performance testing, and linkage to caregiver data through NSOC, allowing examination of both older adults and their caregivers. The dataset supports research on aging trajectories, caregiving patterns, and long-term care needs.
Caveats
- Access to certain linked data (e.g., NIA linkage files) requires a Data Use Agreement (DUA), with an approval process that may take approximately one year.
- Complex survey design requires appropriate weighting and variance estimation methods.
- Attrition over time may affect longitudinal analyses.
- Some measures are self-reported and may be subject to reporting bias.
Examples of Outcomes Examined
- Cognitive status and dementia-related outcomes
- Disability and functional status trajectories
- Use and intensity of caregiving
- Care environment (community, residential care, nursing facility)
- Caregiver characteristics and burden
Topic
Aging and Long-Term Care, Geriatrics/Palliative Care, Long-Term Care & Skilled Nursing
Resource Type
Dataset
Share
Related Resources
Long-Term Care Focus (LTCFocus) Project
Overview Topic: Long-Term Care; Nursing Homes; Home Health; Facility-Level Quality; State Policy…
PBJ (Payroll Based Journal)
Overview Topic: Nursing Home Staffing; Long-Term Care Workforce; Facility-Level Quality Dataset Type:…
ACHIEVE Trial
Overview Topic: Aging; Cognitive Decline; Hearing Loss; Dementia Prevention Dataset Type: Cohort;…
