Both elders and clinicians underestimate the effects of disease on functioning, thereby delaying intervention. In 1 sample,
elders tended to underreport disability or to report it only when they reached an intolerable threshold. In the same sample, two thirds of clinicians who did not explicitly ask their patients about function overestimated their abilities. Without an accurate assessment of a person’s needs and abilities, it is difficult to implement an appropriate physical activity program