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.
