How journalists can use NHATS data to report on aging, disability and caregiving
The National Health and Aging Trends Study is an annual survey of a nationally representative sample of older adults drawn from the Medicare enrollment file, led by Johns Hopkins and the University of Michigan. It shows what daily life is like over time for aging adults, like whether they can bathe, shop, or get around, who helps them, and what happens when there’s no help. For journalists covering aging, disability, dementia, caregiving, or long-term care, it provides national data to support local reporting.
NHATS and the National Study of Caregiving
The original 2011 cohort included 8,245 participants. More than 40% were 80 or older, and about 20% identified as Black. Because the sample comes from Medicare enrollment, which covers most Americans 65 and older, it is a good reflection of the older population. The sample is refreshed periodically so it stays representative: replenishments took place in 2015 and 2022/2023; the latest one added Hispanic Medicare enrollees to support the study of health disparities.
Interviews cover physical and cognitive capacity, activities of daily living, help received, assistive devices, chronic conditions, the home environment, and well-being. Family and unpaid caregivers are interviewed periodically through the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC). Recent rounds also include objective vision and hearing tests and accelerometer data, so some measures are tested rather than self-reported. Round 14, collected in 2024, was released in final form in February 2026.
How to get the data
Registration is required.
- NHATS Trends & Findings offers a trends dashboard and chartbook on late-life functioning among adults 72 and older from 2011 through 2023, a separate NSOC dashboard on family caregiving, and short research summaries and fact sheets.
- Public use files are free with registration. They come in SAS and Stata formats.
- Sensitive files (including NSOC caregiver data) require a brief application.
- Restricted files, including geographic data and Medicare claims linked to NHATS participants, are available through the National Institute on Aging LINKAGE program.
Some caveats
- The study follows the same people over time, so it can show how disability and care needs develop, not just how common they are.
- Detailed geography is restricted; you can only see whether participants live in a metropolitan or non-metropolitan county, but you can find patterns and pair with data for your community.
- The Round 12–14 sample person files were reissued in August 2026 with coding updates. Re-download if you worked with earlier versions.
Story ideas
- How many older adults go without the help they need? NHATS asks about consequences of unmet need, such as going without bathing or eating less.
- Dementia at home. NHATS classifies probable dementia using diagnosis reports and cognitive tests, so you can compare care hours and caregiver strain by dementia status. Follow up with local adult day programs and respite providers.
- The invisible caregiver. NSOC records what families do and what it costs them, including a newer caregiver strain scale. Interview caregivers and employers about addressing this issue.
- Vision and hearing. The tablet tests offer a way to look at sensory loss that people don’t report. Ask local clinicians how often it goes undetected and how they screen or refer to specialists and what insurance barriers get in the way of treatment.
- Housing and aging in place. An analysis of 2015–2020 NHATS data linked poor housing affordability and quality to higher risks of frailty, disability, and death. Look at local home-repair programs like CAPABLE, accessibility, and rent burdens for older renters.
- Metro vs. non-metro. Compare functioning and care arrangements between metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties, what rural providers and caregivers face and the struggle of finding and retaining paid aides and other caregivers.
Additional resources
- NHATS (data, user guides, technical papers) and NHATS Trends & Findings
- NHATS Publications search
- NHATS Conditions of Use
- NHATS data questions: [email protected]
The post How journalists can use NHATS data to report on aging, disability and caregiving appeared first on Association of Health Care Journalists.
Information Courtesy By: Liz Seegert, HealthcareNews, Global | Feeds
The National Health and Aging Trends Study is an annual survey of a nationally representative sample of older adults drawn from the Medicare enrollment file, led by Johns Hopkins and the University of Michigan. It shows what daily life is like over time for aging adults, like whether they can bathe, shop, or get around, who helps them, and what happens when there’s no help. For journalists covering aging, disability, dementia, caregiving, or long-term care, it provides national data to support local reporting.
NHATS and the National Study of Caregiving
The original 2011 cohort included 8,245 participants. More than 40% were 80 or older, and about 20% identified as Black. Because the sample comes from Medicare enrollment, which covers most Americans 65 and older, it is a good reflection of the older population. The sample is refreshed periodically so it stays representative: replenishments took place in 2015 and 2022/2023; the latest one added Hispanic Medicare enrollees to support the study of health disparities.
Interviews cover physical and cognitive capacity, activities of daily living, help received, assistive devices, chronic conditions, the home environment, and well-being. Family and unpaid caregivers are interviewed periodically through the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC). Recent rounds also include objective vision and hearing tests and accelerometer data, so some measures are tested rather than self-reported. Round 14, collected in 2024, was released in final form in February 2026.
How to get the data
Registration is required.
- NHATS Trends & Findings offers a trends dashboard and chartbook on late-life functioning among adults 72 and older from 2011 through 2023, a separate NSOC dashboard on family caregiving, and short research summaries and fact sheets.
- Public use files are free with registration. They come in SAS and Stata formats.
- Sensitive files (including NSOC caregiver data) require a brief application.
- Restricted files, including geographic data and Medicare claims linked to NHATS participants, are available through the National Institute on Aging LINKAGE program.
Some caveats
- The study follows the same people over time, so it can show how disability and care needs develop, not just how common they are.
- Detailed geography is restricted; you can only see whether participants live in a metropolitan or non-metropolitan county, but you can find patterns and pair with data for your community.
- The Round 12–14 sample person files were reissued in August 2026 with coding updates. Re-download if you worked with earlier versions.
Story ideas
- How many older adults go without the help they need? NHATS asks about consequences of unmet need, such as going without bathing or eating less.
- Dementia at home. NHATS classifies probable dementia using diagnosis reports and cognitive tests, so you can compare care hours and caregiver strain by dementia status. Follow up with local adult day programs and respite providers.
- The invisible caregiver. NSOC records what families do and what it costs them, including a newer caregiver strain scale. Interview caregivers and employers about addressing this issue.
- Vision and hearing. The tablet tests offer a way to look at sensory loss that people don’t report. Ask local clinicians how often it goes undetected and how they screen or refer to specialists and what insurance barriers get in the way of treatment.
- Housing and aging in place. An analysis of 2015–2020 NHATS data linked poor housing affordability and quality to higher risks of frailty, disability, and death. Look at local home-repair programs like CAPABLE, accessibility, and rent burdens for older renters.
- Metro vs. non-metro. Compare functioning and care arrangements between metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties, what rural providers and caregivers face and the struggle of finding and retaining paid aides and other caregivers.
Additional resources
- NHATS (data, user guides, technical papers) and NHATS Trends & Findings
- NHATS Publications search
- NHATS Conditions of Use
- NHATS data questions: [email protected]
The post How journalists can use NHATS data to report on aging, disability and caregiving appeared first on Association of Health Care Journalists.
Click For More Details
2026-11-07 02:14
Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Healthcare Central is published from a syndicated feed.