The characteristics of senior applicants for vocational rehabilitation services

Vocational rehabilitation services will experience an increase in the number of applicants who are over 65 years of age in the next 25 years. The nature and severity of disabilities of senior applicants, as well as their motivations for obtaining rehabilitation services, are unclear. Prior research suggests that seniors may use vocational services for the benefits of participation, rather than as a means to obtain employment. Information gathered as a part of the Longitudinal Study of the Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program indicates that employment was the primary objective for senior applicants of the state-federal system of vocational rehabilitation services.