Survey sheds light on lack of senior planning

Senior care isn't made a priority

A new survey, conducted by a worldwide company that provides private, in-home care for older adults, suggests that older Americans and their adult children do a poor job of planning for their future needs as health begins to fail.

The survey, conducted by Home Instead Senior Care of Omaha, NE, had these findings:

• 73% of U.S. adult children and 65% of Canadian adult children say they have not planned or thought about their parents' care needs as they age.

• 50% of U.S. seniors and 58% of Canadian seniors likewise have not thought about their own care needs as their health begins to fail.

• 66% of seniors can name no more than two non-family care options.

• 67% of adult children have not used any potential information resources on senior care.

• 54% of seniors have not used information resources on senior care.

• Nearly 80% of seniors seem unaware of the need for long-term-care insurance.

• Seniors and adult children underestimate the cost of skilled nursing homes.

• About 25% of adult children are aware of adult day care centers, while 35% of seniors know these exist.