Seniors Feel Less Prepared to Age Independently at Home

Seniors have a well-known preference for staying in their own homes as they age, but it appears that they’re growing nervous about being able to do so—and that they are worried about the care that they might receive there.

Compared to how they felt a year ago, nearly three in 10 seniors today feel less prepared to live independently in their own homes as they age, according to the survey conducted by SCAN, a Long Beach, California-based organization that offers one of the largest nonprofit Medicare Advantage plans in the nation.

“While most of us want to remain as independent as possible as we age, it’s troubling that a significant number of U.S. seniors are not confident they will be able to do so,” SCAN CEO Chris Wing said in a May 22 press release.

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The survey encompassed 1,000 U.S. adults age 64 and older, who were questioned in late April 2017.

Of those who said they were concerned about their ability to live independently as they age, 54% cited worries about their ability to afford health care, 34% are anxious about the quality of care they will receive, and 25% have concerns about accessing care.

In addition, 74% of respondents said they feel uninformed about one or more areas of Medicare coverage, and 20% said they feel most uninformed about long-term care coverage specifically.

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It appears that moves to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act are contributing to seniors’ unease. Nearly 80% of respondents said they’re more concerned about the future of Medicare than they were a year ago, and 52% believe that Medicare will be affected if the ACA is repealed.

Written by Tim Mullaney

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