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OLDER FARMERS WITH DISABILITIES

Tracy Keninger
Easter Seal Society of Iowa, Inc.
FaRM Program
P.O. Box 4002
Des Moines, IA 50333-4002
Voice/Message (515)289-1933, ext. 251
Fax (515)289-1281
TDD(515)289-4069

Web Posted on: December 8, 1997


The median age of a farm owner in the state of Iowa is 61 years. Nearly 30 percent of the Iowa farm owners are 65 or older. The state of Iowa has the highest percentage of people over the age of 85 and ranks third in the nation of individuals over the age of 65. Agriculture has been recognized as a dangerous occupation since the 1930's. According to the National Safety Council, injury rates for farmers are one- third higher than for construction, which is the second most dangerous occupation. According to the 1994 Iowa Department of Public Health Disability and Injury Prevention Report, the age groups most at risk are children and the elderly. It is estimated that 17,000 farm families in Iowa are affected by a physical disability resulting from accident, injury, or illness. An additional 42,000 people are estimated to have health related conditions that affect their ability to complete essential farm or independent living tasks.

It is expected that the percentage of older, disabled farmers will continue to grow because of changes taking place in agriculture across the state. Farmers are finding it increasingly difficult to make a profit when competing with large corporate farms. Because of resistance to being bought out by the corporations, many farmers are continuing to farm longer and do not feel that they can financially afford to retire. With the enormous taxes that they must pay on their property, as well as the taxes they must pay if they sell their machinery or other parts of their operations, again they do not see it as financially feasible to retire or sell. In addition, the ownership of the family farm has typically been passed from one generation to the next. This is not happening as often because farming is no longer seen as a profitable occupation. Lastly the fact that farming is considered a way of life and not an occupation that one retires from, contributes to the incidence of farmers continuing to farm long after the normal retirement age.

The older, disabled farmer faces additional challenges simply because of the rural setting in which he lives. Isolation is often experienced by farmers because neighbors, who can assist in crisis or in daily tasks, are not as close in proximity as in urban settings. Spouses who once helped on the farm have had to take jobs outside of the home to help with expenses. Something so simple as retrieving the mail becomes a greater challenge in a rural setting that in an urban area. Mailboxes are located a long distance from the residence, across terrain and in weather conditions that make walking difficult.

There are several other factors that contribute to the prevalence of older farmers being disabled. It is not unusual to see older farmers with finger and arm amputations due to the now old, unsafe corn pickers that were once used years ago. This occurrence is much less now because of better safety standards. Farming is a labor intensive occupation in which there is a lot of "wear and tear" on an individual. This "wear and tear" could also come from: operating tractors without power steering (arthritis), using the clutch and brake that were hard to activate on the older tractors (knee replacements), sitting for long hours on non- supportive and uncushioned tractor seats (back injuries), and/ or jumping while mounting /dismounting a tractor from the rear (hip injuries).

There are additional concerns/ issues that come into play when farming not only disabled but also elderly. Certain limitations must be considered as a result a the person's age. These limitations may include:

  • fatigue,
  • decrease in endurance,
  • vision loss,
  • decrease in reaction time,
  • hearing loss,
  • and/or mobility limitations.

There are a wide variety of assistive technologies that meet the needs of older, disabled farmers. Five disability groups discussed in this paper include:

  • mobility impairments,
  • knee and hip limitations,
  • vision loss,
  • back limitations,
  • and arm/ finger amputations

Living and working on the farm often requires walking long distances to perform necessary tasks. For the individual who has a mobility impairment, these tasks can sometimes be dangerous because of the uneven terrain. In addition, one may not have the physical stamina to walk as far. To overcome these challenges, a variety of outdoor mobility aids can be used such as: golf carts, riding lawnmowers, three-wheel electric scooters, and all terrain vehicles. For individuals who use canes, broad-based cane tips are useful when ambulating on gravel surfaces. These tips can provide greater stability because of the increased surface area that the cane tip covers. Flip-up ice cane tips can be used when traveling on slippery surfaces. Ice grippers and cleats that can fit onto one's shoes can also be purchased for this purpose.

For individuals with knee and hip limitations, tractor controls typically operated by the individual's lower extremities can be modified so that all of the controls are now operated by the person's upper extremities. The steps to mount and dismount the tractor can be lowered and widened by using strut iron or expanded steel. This modification makes it safer and easier to mount and dismount a tractor and/or combine. Additional hand holds may be placed on the tractor for more areas to grab during mounting and dismounting. In the event that the widened/lowered steps do not meet the farmer's needs, a lift may be mounted to the tractor which will physically lift the person up to the cab. These lifts can be a platform or a chair on which the person can stand or sit. There are a wide variety of styles and models of lifts. Although lifts are commercially available, they are often individually designed by local machinists because of the individualized limitations and abilities of the farmers and the huge variety of tractor and combine models.

For those older, disabled farmers who experience vision loss, various modifications can make tasks easier and safer. A tool organizer on wheels has painted outlines as a reminder of where the tools belong. The painted outlines are more for the seeing person to remind them to return the tools in the appropriate place so the individual with the vision loss is able to easily locate them. Hi-marker is a fluorescent substance that can be placed on various items to create a raised marking. For example, it could be used on a feed pail to mark the amount of protein that needs to be added. To prevent a farmer from becoming disorientated, different sounding wind chimes can be placed on various buildings. It is also recommended that a radio always be playing from a specific area in the case that it is too windy and the windchimes do not serve their purpose. A wide variety of other modifications could be utilized, but are too numerous to mention.

A back injury is a common limitation for older, disabled farmers. Older style tractors without proper seating systems can be retrofitted with lumbar supported, air suspension seats. The newer tractors often have adequate seating systems. Sitting stools and work benches that are adjustable in height mean that farmers do not have to bend over placing additional strain and stress on their back. A scoop-eze which is placed midway up the handle of a shovel or pitch fork can also reduce the likelihood of placing additional strain or stress on the back.

As mentioned earlier, there is a high prevalence of upper extremity limitations among older, disabled farmers. The assistive technology available is vast and specialized to the individual's needs. On the tractor, additional handholds could be placed, steering knobs could be placed on the steering wheel, and extensions could be added to levers making it easier to operate. Tools can be modified by building up the handles with epoxy putty, making it easier to grip. One-handed hammers for starting nails and one-handed staple starters have also been designed.

The assistive technology available for the older, disabled farmer is as varied as the types of disabilities. It is very difficult to include all available options. The Easter Seal FaRM Program has served farmers and farm family members with disabilities for the past 10 years. We have a wide variety of information on various pieces of technology and are willing to share any information that would be useful.

"Farm- Related Injuries, Iowa Department of Public Health Disability and Injury Prevention" 1996

"U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census: Census of Agriculture", 1992

"The Experience of Chapter 12 Bankruptcy Filers in Iowa", 1995