Tag Archives for The Harris Poll

National survey says care for older adults needs urgent rethinking 

Published in RINewsToday on January 27, 2025

With President Trump’s administration beginning and a new Congress poised to rethink, among other issues, Social Security, Medicare and federal aging programs and services, it might be prudent for the president and lawmakers to take a quick glance at the findings of a recently released national survey, “Meeting the Growing Demand for Age-Friendly Care: Health Care at the Crossroads.”

This 52-page national report, was released on Sept. 17, 2024 by Emeryville, California-based Age Wave, a think tank that studies the social, financial, healthcare, and business impacts of aging and The John A. Hartford Foundation (JAHF), a New York based-foundation dedicated to improving care of older adults. The survey was conducted by The Harris Poll, a marking and analytic company tracking public opinion in existence for over sixty years ago.  

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, America’s population of adults over 65 is expected to skyrocket, from 56.1 million in 2020 to 82.1 million by 2050. The enormous  increase in the number of older adults is forcing states, Congress, and the private sector to rethink their approaches to health care, social services, housing and more, to help older adults live well as they age.

As millions of Baby Boomers (born 1946 to 1964) age, living longer than previous generations and seeking ways to maintain wellness and independence to age in place, this nationwide survey shows deep dissatisfaction among older Americans aged 65 and over with health care and services they receive that do not meet their specific needs and preferences. 

Finding Policy Solutions to Maximize “Golden Years”

The national survey reported that four in five older adults (82%) say the U.S. health care system is not prepared for the growing and changing needs of America’s aging population. Just one in 10 (11%) give the health care system an ‘A’ grade. Instead of the status quo, older adults say they want solutions that will maximize their golden years, like interventions that make care more affordable, innovations to reduce or prevent cognitive decline and health care providers who understand what matters most to them when assessing care options.

“Older adults are stuck in a health care system that is not responsive to their goals and preferences. Boomers want health care that maximizes their health and ability to function, and they want their providers to listen to them,” said Terry Fulmer, JAHF’s president, in a Sept. 17 statement announcing the release of the report. “It is not too late to pivot to age-friendly care, which prioritizes the needs and desires of older adults in their care plan. There are many innovative approaches to help older adults live every year to its fullest, not just increase the number of years they live,” she says.

International longevity and aging expert, Ken Dychtwald, founder and CEO of Age Wave, added: “The United States is on the brink of an age wave of unprecedented proportions, and American health care requires a radical and immediate rethink to match our health spans, or being able to live every year to its fullest, to our lifespans.”

Dychtward urged policy and business leaders to prepare for older adults making up a large and growing percentage of the U.S. population. “Everyone knows this day has been coming, but our survey shows that older adults do not like the choices or care currently offered to them. And the fact that although we spend more per capita on health care than any country in the world yet have worse lifespans and health spans is cause for alarm,” he said.

The age 65 and over survey respondents called for America’s health care system to offer “age-friendly care.” Most older adults (94%) say it is more important to maintain quality of life than it is to live as long as possible.

Only three in five older adults with a health care provider (58%) report that their providers currently ask about what matters to them. Though older adults fear Alzheimer’s and dementia more than any other health condition, for example, less than half (40%) say their health care providers routinely evaluate their cognitive health and brain functioning. Similarly, less than half of older adults (45%) say their health care providers evaluate their mental health, and although the ability to walk freely without pain is top of mind for older adults, just 55% say their medical care providers evaluate their mobility and physical fitness. 

The national survey findings indicated that the older respondents say that there are not enough qualified care providers. Nearly all older adults (94%) say that health care providers should be trained on the unique health issues of people 65 or older, but only 10% of medical schools require a rotation in geriatric care, compared to 96% that require a rotation in pediatric care. 

Between 2000 and 2022, the U.S. population of adults aged 65 and older rose 60%, but the number of geriatricians dropped by a whopping 28%. says the report. 

Not surprisingly, the survey findings indicate that health care costs are viewed as “unaffordable” and of a bigger concern to older adults than living expenses, inflation, tax increases and an economic downturn or recession. For instance, just 16% give an ‘A’ grade to satisfaction with their out-of-pocket costs. Older adults are especially concerned with the cost of long-term care, stressing that one of their greatest concerns is not being able to afford future health and long-term care needs (68%), and that the government should prioritize having Medicare cover long-term care (80%).

Differing Views of the Quality of Nursing Home Care

An estimated 36 million Americans have a family member or friend living in a nursing home or memory care facility today, according to the survey. Just 37% of those adults ages 18+ say their family member or friend living in a nursing home or memory care facility receives high-quality care. Only half (50%) say these facilities are the safest place for them.

There must be more coordination between primary care providers and other health care providers. While 52% of Medicare beneficiaries see more than three physicians per year, half of older adults from the survey say their primary care provider does not coordinate their treatment with their other health care providers. The report notes that this may be attributed to the increasing shortage of primary care providers, which makes it less likely for people to have a usual source of primary care or long-term relationship with a primary care provider.

As noted in Primary Care in Rhode Island, in 2024, from 200,000 to 400,000 Rhode Islanders lack access to a primary care provider, resulting in a shortage of 133 to 266 primary care physicians to treat them.

Finally, more than half of older adults (56%) say it is challenging and very stressful to navigate the current health care system, while nearly two in three (62%) say health insurance plans provide too many confusing choices. Research has shown that more than half (55%) mistakenly believe Medicare will cover a long-term stay in a nursing home, the report added.

As the new Congress begins its debate on aging policy, regardless of political party, the national survey reports that their older constituents want public policies enacted that support quality care.  The survey findings indicate that adding long-term care to what Medicare covers is supported by most Republicans (76%), Democrats (84%) and independents or people with other political affiliations (79%). Additionally, there is bipartisan support for improving quality at U.S. nursing homes also earns bipartisan support (Republicans 62% support, Democrats 68% support, independents or people with other political affiliations 65% support). 

“Better federal and state policies can encourage the development of age-friendly health systems, that focus on improving patients’ well-being and quality of life,” predicts JAHF’s Fulmer. “Policies could include new options for affording long-term care insurance and developing a federal strategy to ensure disadvantaged populations are prioritized in a national strategy for age-friendly care,” she says.

Report Offers 5 Key Suggestions to Improve Care to older Americans 

After reviewing all survey findings, JAHF identified five key recommendations to improve health care provided to older adults and to promote healthier, happier aging.

JAHF calls for promoting age-friendly care that can assist the nation’s older adults maintain their health, ability to function, thus maintaining their independence in the community. Pursuing scientific breakthroughs could bring the end to diseases like Alzheimer’s adds JAHF, calling for social isolation must be addressed. 

Assist family caregivers with skill-building tools, policies that allow flexibility in taking paid leave and ensuring care providers coordinate among multiple providers the health care system easier to navigate. 

Finally, JAHF calls for the creation of a ‘national master plan for aging’ that will be focused on meeting the needs of older adults. This plan would identify and address barriers that contribute to inequities, also creating a strategic plan that would provide a roadmap to reform the financing of long-term care, enhance the quality of nursing home care and to create systems to assist people to age in place at home rather than being admitted to acute and congregate settings. 

“We are at a unique crossroads. However, changing America’s health care system to meet older adults’ expectations is possible, practical and could lead to greater health at a far lower cost—and can benefit the government, private enterprise and consumers,” said Dychtwald. “Older adults deserve health care partners who understand what they are going through, have the skills to most effectively support their patients and act on what their customers want,” he says.

The Nuts and Bolts Behind the Study 

The study was conducted by Age Wave on behalf of The John A. Hartford Foundation and in partnership with The Harris Poll. After thorough review of secondary research and through qualitative research with older adults through online focus groups, a  nationally representative online survey was conducted from April 17 to May 9, 2024. Of 5,023 adult (age 18+) respondents, 2,516 were age 65 and older. Data were weighted where necessary to align them with their actual proportions in the population, including by age, gender, race/ethnicity, region, education, household income, size of household, marital status, and political party affiliation. 

Note:  The full report, Meeting the Growing . for Age-Friendly Care: Health Care at the Crossroads, can be found at https://www.johnahartford.org/images/uploads/resources/The_Growing_Demand_for_Age-Friendly_Care_Report_FINAL.pdf.

To watch the “Webinar: What Older Adults Want: Emerging Breakthroughs & Opportunities for Age-Friendly Care, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK6D4-G3KPw.

One Year Later – Two Surveys Examine Impact of COVID-19

Published in RINewsToday on May24, 2021

Over the year the raging pandemic has impacted on the physical and mental health of Americans. With daily COVID case counts now the lowest since last year and hospitals seeing less coronavirus hospitalizations, most states, including Rhode Island, are now opening up.

According to the American Psychological Association’s (APA) latest Stress in AmericaTM poll (findings released on March 11, 2021), the nation’s health crisis is far from over. Just one year after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, many adults report increased negative behaviors, such as undesired changes to their weight and increased drinking, that may be related to their inability to cope with prolonged stress.

APA’s survey of U.S. adults, conducted in late February 2021 by The Harris Poll, shows that a majority of adults (61 percent) experienced undesired weight changes—weight gain or loss—since the pandemic started, with 42 percent reporting they gained more weight than they intended. Of these individuals, they gained an average of 29 pounds (the median amount gained was 15 pounds) and 10 percent stated they gained more than 50 pounds, noted the poll’s findings.

Gaining Weight Bad for Your Health

Weight changes come with significant health risks, including higher vulnerability to serious illness from COVID-19.  According to the National Institute of Health, people who gain more than 11 pounds are at higher risk of developing Type II diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease, and people who gain more than 24 pounds are at higher risk of developing ischemic stroke. 

For the 18 percent of Americans who said they lost more weight than they wanted to, the average amount of weight lost was 26 pounds (median amount lost was 12 pounds). Adult respondents also reported unwanted changes in sleep patterns and increased alcohol consumption. Two in 3 (67 percent) said they have been sleeping more or less than desired since the pandemic started. Nearly 1 in 4 adults (or 23 percent) reported drinking more alcohol to cope with their stress.

“We’ve been concerned throughout this pandemic about the level of prolonged stress, exacerbated by the grief, trauma and isolation that Americans are experiencing. This survey reveals a secondary crisis that is likely to have persistent, serious mental and physical health consequences for years to come,” said Arthur C. Evans Jr, PhD, APA’s chief executive officer, in a March 21st statement announcing the results of the study’s findings. 

Evans calls on health and policy leaders to come together quickly to provide additional behavioral health supports as part of any national recovery plan.

The researchers found that the pandemic took a particularly heavy toll on parents of children under 18-years old. While slightly more than 3 in 10 adults (31 percent) reported their mental health has worsened compared with before the pandemic, nearly half of mothers who still have children home for remote learning (47 percent) say that their mental health has worsened; 30 percent of the fathers who still have children home said the same. 

APA’s study also found that parents were more likely than those without children to have received treatment from a mental health professional (32 percent vs. 12 percent) and to have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder since the coronavirus pandemic began (24 percent vs. 9 percent). More than half of fathers (55 percent) reported gaining weight, and nearly half (48 percent) said they are drinking more alcohol to cope with stress.

As to essential workers, (either persons working in health care or law enforcement), the majority said that they relied on a lot of unhealthy habits to get through the year-long pandemic. Nearly 3 in 10 (29 percent said their mental health has worsened, while 3 in 4 (75 percent) said they could have used more emotional support than they received since the pandemic began. Essential workers were more than twice as likely as adults who were not essential workers to have received treatment from a mental health professional (34 percent vs. 12 percent) and to have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder since the coronavirus pandemic started (25 percent vs. 9 percent).

Furthermore, people of color noted that unintended physical changes occurred during the pandemic. Hispanic adults were most likely to report undesired changes to sleep (78 percent Hispanic vs. 76 percent Black, 63 percent white and 61 percent Asian), physical activity levels (87 percent Hispanic vs. 84 percent Black, 81 percent Asian and 79 percent white) and weight (71 percent Hispanic vs. 64 percent Black, 58 percent white and 54 percent Asian) since the beginning of the pandemic.

Black Americans were most likely to report feelings of concern about the future, say the researchers, noting that more than half said they do not feel comfortable going back to living life like they used to before the pandemic (54 percent Black vs. 48 percent Hispanic, 45 percent Asian and 44 percent white).  They also feel uneasy about adjusting to in-person interaction once the pandemic ends (57 percent Black vs. 51 percent Asian, 50 percent Hispanic and 47 percent white).

“It’s clear that the pandemic is continuing to have a disproportionate effect on certain groups,” said APA President Jennifer Kelly, PhD. “We must do more to support communities of color, essential workers and parents as they continue to cope with the demands of the pandemic and start to show the physical consequences of prolonged stress,” says Kelly.

COVID-19’s Impact on Seniors

A newly released AARP study, released on May 10, 2021, has found that more than a year into the coronavirus pandemic, most adults age 50 and older say that it has had a negative impact on their mental health. Researchers found that seven in 10 older adults reported an increase in sadness or depression due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and nearly 8 in 10 said they had increased concern about the future, worry or anxiety. Half of adults 50 and older reported feelings of anxiety in the last two weeks, and 56% noted difficulties falling asleep or staying asleep, say the study’s findings.

“If you are feeling stressed and anxious after the last year, you are far from alone!” said Alison Bryant, Senior Vice President of Research at AARP in a statement announcing the survey results. “As our survey highlights, most older adults’ mental health and wellbeing was affected by the pandemic—and some of the ways we coped might not have been great for our health, either. With many communities returning to normal, we hope older adults will consider taking steps to reclaim their health this spring and summer,” she said.

Coping with the COVID-19 pandemic

According to the AARP study findings, seniors are responding to the increased stress in a variety of ways. About one in four of the respondents reported they are eating comfort foods or “unhealthy foods” like chips and candy more often than before the pandemic. And 27 percent of people 50 and over have increased the time they spend praying or meditating. One in 10 survey respondents reported seeking mental health care in the last year, a third of whom did so specifically because of the pandemic. Overall, 15 percent of older adults said that experiencing the pandemic made them more likely to seek help from a mental health provider if they had concerns.

AARP’s survey also highlighted how the pandemic increased loneliness and isolation among those age 50 and over.  Among older adults, 58 percent reported feeling increased loneliness, and 62 percent were less likely to socialize with friends and family compared to before the pandemic.