Table 1.
Characteristics of Older Jail Inmates, n=210
| Characteristic | n (%) |
|---|---|
| Mean age (SD) | 59.4 (3.8) |
| Age 55–64, n (%) | 186 (89) |
| Race/ethnicity, n (%) | |
| Black | 125 (60) |
| White/non-Latino | 47 (22) |
| Latino | 21 (10) |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 12 (6) |
| Female, n (%) | 10 (5) |
| Annual income <$15,000, n (%) | 168 (80) |
| High school, GED or more, n (%) | 155 (74) |
| Self-rated health, n (%) | |
| Poor or fair | 111 (53) |
| Good | 54 (26) |
| Very good or excellent | 45 (21) |
| Multimorbidity, n (%)a | 145 (69) |
| Serious mental illness, n (%)b | 104 (50) |
| ADL impairment, n (%)c | 70 (33) |
| Recent Fall(s), n (%)d | 66 (31) |
| Drug-/alcohol-related arrest, n (%) | 55 (26) |
| Drug use, n (%)e | 118 (56) |
| Problem alcohol use, n (%)f | 127 (60) |
| Homelessness, n (%)g | 98 (47) |
| Medication insecurity, n (%)h | 82 (39) |
| Recent acute care use, n (%)i | 106 (50) |
| Any pain, n (%) | 157 (75) |
Health conditions determined through self-report and/or documentation in the jail medical record. “Multimorbidity” includes two or more of the physical health conditions: hypertension, diabetes, cancer (not skin), chronic lung disease, heart disease (heart attack, coronary heart disease, or angina), congestive heart failure, stroke, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, or arthritis/rheumatism.
Includes any major depressive, manic or psychotic disorder as determined through self-report and/or documentation in the jail medical record.
Defined as having difficulty with ≥1 ADL (bathing, eating, transferring, toileting or dressing).
Defined as any self-reported fall to the ground within the last 3 months.
Defined as documentation of current drug use in the jail medical record and/or answering “no” to “In the last year, could you get through the week without using drugs?”
Defined as documentation of current alcohol use disorder in jail medical record or a positive screen on the validated, three-item AUDIT-C.
Defined as needing to spend 1 or more nights outside in a homeless shelter in the 30 days prior to jail.
Defined as “yes” to “Was there a time in the last year when you did not have enough money for medications?”
Based on self-report of emergency department use or hospitalization in the 3 months prior to jail.
ADL, activity of daily living.