AgrAbility/Breaking New Ground Safely Cultivating Independence for Farmers with Disabilities – Young and Old AgrAbility/Breaking New Ground Safely Cultivating Independence for Farmers with Disabilities – Young and Old Bill Field Breaking New Ground Resource Center Purdue University West Lafayette, IN

Approximately one in five of the farm and ranch population have a disability that restricts daily living or hinders completion of essential work-related tasks.

Most Frequently Reported Types of Disability Conditions in the Farm and Ranch Population  Musculoskeletal (arthritis, back impairments, amputations)  Hearing impairment  Cardiovascular  Respiratory impairment Reflections of an aging farm population

Disability conditions reported to be more prevalent among the farm and ranch population  Amputations  Arthritis  Displaced intervertebral disks  Respiratory impairments (asthma)  Alzheimer's  Cerebrovascular disease

Arthritis   46 million MD diagnosed cases in USA   38% reside in rural areas   Higher incidence in agricultural   Approximately one-third of farmers reported having the disease NADA Fact Sheet 2002

Asthma   Increased risk of asthma in adult farmers   Bacterial endotoxin may induce symptoms   Exposure to dust high in endotoxins Schenker M, Cormier Y, Dimich-Ward H, et al. Respiratory health hazards in agriculture. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 1998;158

Alzheimer’s  4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease  38% located in rural areas  70% of people with disease live at home  75% of care is provided by family Alzheimer’s Disease Statistics

Cerebrovascular Disease  Heat stroke is life-threatening, risks increase when working under hot humid conditions  Risks for heart disease and strokes are startlingly high among farm workers The California Endowment Agriculture Workers 2000

Purdue’s Breaking New Ground Program 1979-Present  Breaking New Ground Resource Center  Research  Resource development  Technical assistance  Information dissemination  Professional development  Breaking New Ground Outreach Program  In-state technical assistance  Public awareness  Disability collaboration  Disability advocacy

USDA AgrAbility Program Goals 1990-Present 1. Technical Assistance 2. Information Dissemination 3. Professional Development

AgrAbility Clientele  Mostly male (85+%)  Average age (53.3)  42+% full-time farmers  48+% reported disability due to chronic health condition  Operating equipment most common activity (73+%)  57.9% had made machinery modifications (Meyers and Fetsch, 2006)

Farm/ranch-related injuries have become an “aging” issue  Farmers age 55+ have increased from 37% of the population in 1954 to over 65% in 2005  One third of all farm- related deaths in Indiana are now over 60 (Purdue)  47% of reported lost time farm injuries impact those in the 50 to 70 age group (NIOSH)

Secondary Injuries Associated with Disability within the Farm and Ranch Population  Not a great deal is known about secondary injuries in agriculture  Allen (1995) – farmers with disabilities  81% reported work limitations  25% reported injuries related to their disability  43% of injuries required medical treatment  Keninger (1998) – farmers with disabilities  No data  Use of peer support networks as intervention strategy

Hazards associated with farming/ranching with a disability  Risks to caregivers, family members, coworkers  Increased risks associated with farm equipment operation due to vision and hearing impairments  Increased risks due to impaired mobility around livestock  Risks associated with fire and lack of mobility  Exposure to vibration and motion (loss of sensitivity)  Increased potential for falls (impaired balance)  Respiratory conditions that move from acute to chronic  Hazards associated with loss of temperature sensitivity  Hazards associated with use of assistive technology (Gruver, 1997)

“ “The elderly are more likely to die when they are injured in an auto crash…It’s an issue not of risk taking behavior, but of fragility” Anne McCartt, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 02/9/2007

Breaking New Ground Resources 1. Research  Allen (secondary injuries)  Whitman (perceptions of risk)  Ploss (Hearing impairment)  Metcalf (Amputation)  Racz (Information dissemination) 2. Extension  BNG Resource List  Toll-free line (800)  

Ongoing/Future Initiatives  Enhancing information dissemination strategies  Utilizing groups viewed as credible  Targeted articles in the farm media  Exhibits at major agricultural events  Custom Web site for older farmers  Exploring impact of actions on others (grandchildren)

Ongoing/Future Initiatives  Research activities  Effective dissemination strategies  Risk communication and awareness  Impact of mental health on injury  Fall prevention  Methods of incident supervision  Secondary injuries

Ongoing/Future Initiatives  Resource Development  Farming with arthritis (DVD)  Making career changes  Selecting safe assistive technology