A survey of Americans above age 40 showed that not only do Americans underestimate their potential need for long-term care, but it’s also something they don’t like to think about.
According to the poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, there is widespread concern among this group about the need for long-term care, but this hasn’t translated into actually doing something about it.
“It is estimated that 70 percent of Americans who reach the age of 65 will need some form of long-term care for an average of three years each,” Trevor Tompson, director of the AP-NORC Center, said in a statement. “The rapidly aging population brings with it important social and public policy questions about preparing for and providing quality long-term care. This survey establishes what Americans 40 and over understand about the need for long-term care and reveals troubling facts about what is being done to prepare for it.”
Older Americans (particularly the Baby Boom generation) are expected to make up 19 percent of the population by 2030, an increase from 12 percent currently and totaling 72 million people.
Critical issues revealed by the survey include:
• Most respondents underestimated the cost of nursing home care and overestimated what Medicare will cover.
• Nearly one-third of older Americans would rather not think about getting older at all, and when prompted, a majority of them were worried about losing their independence. Significant majorities prioritize factors that promote independence as they age such as homes with no stairs; and living close to family members, health care services and stores.
• While few are setting aside funds to deal with long-term care issues, there was broad concern about key issues of aging such as loss of mental ability, being a burden to family, leaving unpaid debts and being alone without family or friends.
• Though Americans 40 years or older are concerned about issues of aging, only 41 percent have taken the step of talking about long term care preferences with their families, and only 35 percent have set aside money to pay for long term care needs.
• There is faith in family, with 68 percent of Americans age 40 or older said they could rely on their family a great deal or quite a bit in time of need, with another 15 percent saying they can rely on their family for at least a moderate level of support.
• There is majority support for public policy options for financing long-term care, with more than 75 percent in favor of tax incentives to encourage saving for long-term care expenses and 51 percent in favor of a government administered plan.
