Seniors Fear Loss of Independence, Nursing Homes More Than Death

Senior citizens fear moving into a nursing home and losing their independence more than they fear death, according to a study, “Aging in Place in America,” commissioned by Clarity and The EAR Foundation, which also found that the baby boomer children of seniors also fear for their parents, writes MarketingCharts.

Boomers express particular concern about their parents’ emotional and physical wellbeing should they have to enter a nursing home, finds the study, which examines the attitudes and anxieties of the nation’s elderly population (via MediaPost).

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Shortcuts to charts referenced in this article:

1. What seniors most fear
2. The importance to seniors of living independently
3. The importance to Boomers of their parents’ living independently

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When asked what they fear most, seniors rated loss of independence (26 percent) and moving out of home into a nursing home (13 percent) as their greatest fears. Death was cited as the greatest fear for just 3 percent of seniors. (See chart of what seniors most fear.)Some key findings of the study:

• 89 percent of seniors want to age in place - or grow older without having to move from their homes - and more than half (53 percent) are concerned about their ability to do so.
• 82 percent of baby boomers fear their parents will be mistreated in a nursing home and 89 percent fear their parents will be sad.
• Seniors living at home are determined to maintain their independence, reporting that they require - and receive - limited support from their children or other caregivers.
• 63 percent of boomers say they are providing some kind of help or support to their parents.
• Half of seniors are open to using new technologies to enable independence, including having sensors installed in their homes to monitor their health.
• Baby boomers have not turned to technology to assist their aging parents. Only 14 percent have actually looked for solutions that would help them ensure the health and safety of their parents.

Below, more-detailed findings from the study.

Seniors Want to Age in Place, Don’t Ask for Help

• The vast majority of seniors (89 percent) say the ability to age in place - or live independently and remain in one’s home - is very important, but more than half of those surveyed (53 percent) are concerned with their ability to do so. (See chart of the importance to seniors of living independently.)
• Seniors cite three primary concerns that could jeopardize their ability to live independently: health problems (53 percent); memory problems (26 percent); and inability to drive and/or get around (23 percent).
• Seniors say they do not expect nor do they receive much support from those around them:
  • The majority of seniors (55 percent) view themselves as very independent in that they receive no assistance from their children and seem content with that fact.
  • The vast majority (75 percent) said their children are involved “enough” in their life.
• Seniors who do require help from others receive assistance with household maintenance (20 percent), transportation (13 percent) and healthcare (8 percent). Very few (1 percent) reported receiving financial support.

Seniors Open to New Solutions

The study examined seniors’ attitudes toward technologies that enable an independent life.

• Virtually all seniors are comfortable using the telephone, while almost half of seniors are comfortable using personal computers, the internet and email.
• Not surprisingly, seniors’ comfort level with computer technology decreased in older age groups, particularly those over 75 years of age.
• 65 percent of seniors say they are open to or would like to use new technologies that enable independence.
• More than half (54 percent) would consider the use of ambient technology in their homes - specifically, sensors - to monitor their health and safety.

Boomers Worried about Aging Parents

• The vast majority (94 percent) of boomers say it is important that their senior parents be able to age in place; however, 79 percent are concerned about their parents’ ability to do so, and 57 percent are very concerned. (See chart of the importance to Boomers of their parents’ living independently.)
• 82 percent fear their parents might be mistreated if they move into a nursing home, and 89 percent worry their parents would be saddened by the loss of their independence.
• 79 percent say they are worried that their parents would not like living in a nursing home, and 70 percent are concerned their parents will be scared to move out of their homes.
• Parents’ health is another major issue of concern for baby boomers, with 77 percent saying so; 75 percent also say they are worried about the potential for falls/injuries (75 percent) and their parents’ ability to drive (58 percent).
• Most boomers are not concerned that their parents might someday be a burden to them: 51 percent say they are not concerned that they may have to financially support their parents; 60 percent say they are not concerned that their parents might have to move in with them.

MarketingCharts has more findings from the study, including how boomers help their parents and their use of technology to do so.

About the study: The research for “Aging in Place in America” was conducted by an independent research company, Prince Market Research. Over 800 seniors and baby boomers were polled. This is the third in a series of studies since 2003 commissioned by a partnership of Clarity and The EAR Foundation to better understand the health and lifestyle needs of America’s aging population.