Poll Analysis: Aging in America
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Detailed statistical reports of most Los Angeles Times polls since 1996. View, print or download files. (PDF)
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Detailed statistical reports of most Los Angeles Times polls since 1996. View, print or download files. (PDF)
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Times Poll Staff
Summary
Old age is not a frightening prospect for most people; it does not signify a loss of independence nor a drop in overall life satisfaction, according to a Times Poll conducted last fall.
When respondents younger than 60 were asked if they thought life would become better or worse for them as they grew older, most said they thought it would be better or about the same as it is now. When older respondents were asked the same question, the answers were surprisingly similar. Most older respondents reported being satisfied with how theyve lived their lives, and said they have no regrets.
The survey also found that older Americans consider themselves independent and are not terribly concerned about losing this independence. Most older respondents reported feeling younger than their actual ages, exemplified by most of this group saying that they think they look a good 15 years younger than they actually are.
Even with the issues of potentially declining health and independence looming on their horizons, the majority of older respondents who have adult children report that they have not had any family discussions about their potential need for future care. This finding is replicated among respondents who have parents of that age. Half of those children of aging parents said they have not had discussions about the future with either their siblings or their parents.
This lack of attention may be due to a sense that the discussions are not necessary. About six in 10 older Americans say it isnt likely that their children will ever have to support or care for them, and large majorities of children of older parents said their parents were financially self-supporting or living on their own.
Older respondents: Looking at their lives
Among those respondents older than 60, almost everyone characterized themselves as "living independently." Additionally, 86% said they are completely self-sufficient and another 11% said they get along with some assistance from others.
(It is important to note that older Americans in nursing homes or other care facilities for the least self-sufficient are not well-represented in a telephone survey.)
When older respondents who have no children were asked what they plan to do when they can no longer take care of themselves, about one in four said they would hire full-time help in their home, another 22% said they planned to move into assisted-care facilities and 14% said they would move in with family members. Nursing homes were mentioned by 8% and another 4% said they would move in with friends.
More interestingly, fully two-thirds of all older respondents said they have no regrets, with a handful saying they regretted not going to college or traveling more.
The "children's" perspective
In this section a series of questions was asked of respondents who have living parents or in-laws 60 years of age or older ("Parent" indicates parents and in-laws who fall into that age range).
The poll found that most respondents felt that their parents are self-supporting and independent. Only one in 10 respondents who are under 60 provide any type of financial support to their parents. That number almost doubles--to just under two in 10--among the group of respondents who are themselves over 60, but overall more than eight in 10 (84%) say their parents are financially independent.
The family bond
The survey found that American families generally stay in close touch. Most respondents (59%) reported living in the same area as their parents and an additional 15% reported living in the same state. The younger group--those under 60--are most likely to be living near their parents (61% compared with 48% of those over 60). Only 20% of respondents under 60 and 27% of the older group live in a different state than their parents.
Proximity aside, an arguably more accurate indication of the family bond is keeping in touch. More than eight in 10 respondents in the study said they speak with their parents once a week or more. Women (87%) are even more likely than men (75%) to be in close touch.
These conversations do not appear to be perfunctory, as respondents overwhelmingly reported that relations between themselves and their parents were friendly. Nearly eight in 10 (78%) characterized that relationship as "very friendly" and another 13% said they had a somewhat friendly relationship. Only 6% of respondents reported strain in their relationships with their parents.
Planning for the future: difficult choices
Most younger respondents (under 60) said they could not bring themselves to put their parents into a nursing home against their direct will. Fifty-one percent said that even if a nursing home were the only option, they could not directly act against their parents wishes.
On the other hand, the poll found the opposite among older respondents--the group with the oldest parents. Fifty-seven percent of those over 60 said they could make the difficult decision to put their parents in a nursing home if that were the best option, even if doing so meant going against their parents wishes. Respondents who are younger than 60 were almost evenly divided over whether they would be called upon to provide support for one of their elderly parents sometime in the future (47% thought it likely and 51% thought it "not likely").
Preparing for the eventual care of their elderly parents does not seem to be a priority or an issue that children are eager to address among those who did not currently provide some sort of care. Only 16% said they had taken any steps to prepare for such an eventuality and 81% said they had not. Even among those who said they believe they are likely to some day be called upon for support, only 22% said they had taken steps to prepare for that possibility. Among respondents who said it wasnt very likely that they would be called upon, just one in 10 had taken steps to prepare for the care of their aging parents.
Additionally, the prospect of sharing responsibility for making these preparations does not significantly affect respondents likelihood of actually doing so. Only one in three respondents under age 60 who have brothers or sisters have discussed their parents future care with their siblings. Of this 31%, two in 10 reported that nothing was decided as a result of these conversations.
More importantly, even fewer respondents have had these types of discussions for future preparations with their parents, and in fact nearly six in 10 (58%) have not. Younger people especially have not talked about these issues--three out of five respondents who are themselves under 60 have not discussed with their parents what will happen if and when they become unable to care for themselves.
Those over 60, however, were somewhat more likely to have had some decisions with their parents; 45% said they had discussed the issues with their parents and about the same number (47%) had not.
The parents' perspective: The family bond
As the "children" reported, about seven in 10 respondents older than 60 live in the same area as at least one of their children. Eighty-five percent of women are in very close touch with their children, seeing or speaking with them once a week or more, and more than three-quarters of men (76%) say they are in touch once a week or more.
Parents were far less likely to predict that they would one day be supported by their children, and in fact most (79%) say they think it is not likely that their children will one day have to support them. Men are somewhat less likely than women to acknowledge that they might one day need help from their children, with 86% of men and 73% of women saying it is not likely. Twenty-two percent of women say either they are already being helped by their children or think it is very or somewhat likely that such support will be needed in the future. Only 13% of men admit to being in that position.
About four in 10 parents have discussed the issue of their future care with their children, and the older the parent is, the more likely they are to have had such conversations. About a quarter of all respondents said the discussions had reached no particular conclusions, but:
*17% said they would move to a nursing home
*11% said they had decided they would move to an assisted care home if necessary
*10% said they had insisted they would stay in their own home no matter what happened
Retirement
As baby boomers age, retirement is a lurking reality for the largest chunk of the nations adult population. Correspondingly, the poll sought to determine boomers perceptions of retirement and also asked a series of questions to retirees about their life since retirement.
Perceptions of retirement
When respondents of all ages were asked what they thought about retirement, their replies were mostly positive. One-third said retirement meant having more free time. About a quarter of all respondents said retirement meant time for travel, and a similar proportion said it meant not having to go in to work everyday. However, anxiety about future financial security was a concern associated with retirement, with nearly one out of five saying they thought about whether they would have enough money for retirement.
Part of this financial anxiety stems from the fact that boomers in particular place little faith in pensions and even less in the reliability of Social Security, and are thus looking to the stock market to float their retirement boats.
Respondents who were already retired were much less likely to cite concern over money and also somewhat less likely to speak dreamily of travel than their younger counterparts.
In good news for older Americans, the survey also found little support for the idea that older workers should step aside to make room for the next generation. In fact, nearly three in five said they think older people should be encouraged to work beyond retirement age because of the experience they contribute; under one in seven said they think older workers should be encouraged to retire early. A quarter think it should be left up to the working individual to decide.
Interestingly, retired respondents are less likely (50%) than those who are still working (62%) to say that older people should be encouraged to work beyond retirement age.
Retirees: How retirement is turning out
The survey found that most respondents retired before the age of 65, and most said they felt they had retired at just the right time in life, though a sizeable group -- a quarter of retirees--did feel that they had retired too early.
Retired respondents reported enjoying their free time and the freedom of not having to work. Additionally, retired people are as satisfied with life overall as people who arent retired.
Financially, the survey found most retirees are also doing well. A very large majority said their funds are holding out as expected, with a handful saying that money is stretching even further than theyd hoped.However, in contrast to the plans baby boomers are making for their futures, this group relies heavily on Social Security and pensions.
Growing old
Not surprisingly, when asked to choose their ideal age, the younger the respondent, the younger their ideal age. However, no age group cited an "old" age as the ideal.
At the same time, majorities in most demographic groups said they look forward to growing older, and nearly a quarter (24%) say that the best time of a persons life is over 50.
However, there is also a sizeable minority that do not in fact look forward to the aging process. For example, more than two out of five (42%) men between the ages of 18 and 44 say they are not looking forward to growing older, as well as 38% of boomers overall.
Additionally, a majority of respondents--65%--say that the best time of a persons life is before 50. Older Americans--those over 60--were more divided, with 42% saying the ideal age was under 50 and 43% saying over 50.
Changing norms: You are what you do
The survey showed that there is a national disagreement over the notion that you are what you do for a living. Forty five percent agree that you are what you do (25% strongly agree, 20% somewhat agree). On the other hand, a bare majority--51%--disagree with this sentiment (32% disagree very strongly, 18% somewhat strongly).
There is some indication that this value may be changing. When the Poll asked the same question a little more than a decade ago (April, 1989) the exact opposite finding was reported. Over half (53%) said they agreed with the statement in that previous survey while 44% said they disagreed. Only 25% said they disagreed strongly while 29% said they agreed strongly.
Death, loneliness and suicide
Death is not a subject that most people enjoy discussing, perhaps due to the assumption that people -- and especially the elderly--are afraid to die.
Interestingly, the poll data showed that most people do not think about death. Those who do acknowledge thinking about death go on record as saying that they are not afraid of it. About a fifth of all respondents say they do in fact think about death sometime or another.
Moreover, it is the older generation (65+) who thinks about death the least and who are least likely to fear dying and the youngest ones (18-29) who think about and fear it most:
*19% of those 65 and over say they never think about death (3% of those 18-29 never think about it)
*7% of those 65 and over say they are afraid to die (20% of 18-29 year-olds)Similarly, the older generation is least likely to have reported that they have experienced loneliness, depression or considered suicide:
*17% of those 65 and over say they are never lonely (9% of the 18-29 year-olds)
*14% of those 65 and older say they are never depressed (4% of 18-29 year-olds)
*93% of the 65 and over group has never considered suicide (80% of 18-29 year-olds)
How the Poll Was Conducted
The Times Poll contacted 1,589 adults nationwide, including 807 respondents 60 years of age and over, by telephone October 20-23, 1999. Telephone numbers were chosen from a list of all exchanges in the nation. Random-digit dialing techniques were used so that listed and non-listed numbers could be contacted. The entire sample was weighted slightly to conform with census figures for sex, race, age, education and region. The margin of sampling error for the entire sample is plus or minus 3 percentage points; for those 60 years of age and older, it is 4 points. For certain subgroups the error margin may be somewhat higher. Poll results can also be affected by other factors such as question wording and the order in which questions are presented.
Old age is not a frightening prospect for most people; it does not signify a loss of independence nor a drop in overall life satisfaction, according to a Times Poll conducted last fall.
When respondents younger than 60 were asked if they thought life would become better or worse for them as they grew older, most said they thought it would be better or about the same as it is now. When older respondents were asked the same question, the answers were surprisingly similar. Most older respondents reported being satisfied with how theyve lived their lives, and said they have no regrets.
The survey also found that older Americans consider themselves independent and are not terribly concerned about losing this independence. Most older respondents reported feeling younger than their actual ages, exemplified by most of this group saying that they think they look a good 15 years younger than they actually are.
Even with the issues of potentially declining health and independence looming on their horizons, the majority of older respondents who have adult children report that they have not had any family discussions about their potential need for future care. This finding is replicated among respondents who have parents of that age. Half of those children of aging parents said they have not had discussions about the future with either their siblings or their parents.
This lack of attention may be due to a sense that the discussions are not necessary. About six in 10 older Americans say it isnt likely that their children will ever have to support or care for them, and large majorities of children of older parents said their parents were financially self-supporting or living on their own.
Older respondents: Looking at their lives
Among those respondents older than 60, almost everyone characterized themselves as "living independently." Additionally, 86% said they are completely self-sufficient and another 11% said they get along with some assistance from others.
(It is important to note that older Americans in nursing homes or other care facilities for the least self-sufficient are not well-represented in a telephone survey.)
When older respondents who have no children were asked what they plan to do when they can no longer take care of themselves, about one in four said they would hire full-time help in their home, another 22% said they planned to move into assisted-care facilities and 14% said they would move in with family members. Nursing homes were mentioned by 8% and another 4% said they would move in with friends.
More interestingly, fully two-thirds of all older respondents said they have no regrets, with a handful saying they regretted not going to college or traveling more.
The "children's" perspective
In this section a series of questions was asked of respondents who have living parents or in-laws 60 years of age or older ("Parent" indicates parents and in-laws who fall into that age range).
The poll found that most respondents felt that their parents are self-supporting and independent. Only one in 10 respondents who are under 60 provide any type of financial support to their parents. That number almost doubles--to just under two in 10--among the group of respondents who are themselves over 60, but overall more than eight in 10 (84%) say their parents are financially independent.
The family bond
The survey found that American families generally stay in close touch. Most respondents (59%) reported living in the same area as their parents and an additional 15% reported living in the same state. The younger group--those under 60--are most likely to be living near their parents (61% compared with 48% of those over 60). Only 20% of respondents under 60 and 27% of the older group live in a different state than their parents.
Proximity aside, an arguably more accurate indication of the family bond is keeping in touch. More than eight in 10 respondents in the study said they speak with their parents once a week or more. Women (87%) are even more likely than men (75%) to be in close touch.
These conversations do not appear to be perfunctory, as respondents overwhelmingly reported that relations between themselves and their parents were friendly. Nearly eight in 10 (78%) characterized that relationship as "very friendly" and another 13% said they had a somewhat friendly relationship. Only 6% of respondents reported strain in their relationships with their parents.
Planning for the future: difficult choices
Most younger respondents (under 60) said they could not bring themselves to put their parents into a nursing home against their direct will. Fifty-one percent said that even if a nursing home were the only option, they could not directly act against their parents wishes.
On the other hand, the poll found the opposite among older respondents--the group with the oldest parents. Fifty-seven percent of those over 60 said they could make the difficult decision to put their parents in a nursing home if that were the best option, even if doing so meant going against their parents wishes. Respondents who are younger than 60 were almost evenly divided over whether they would be called upon to provide support for one of their elderly parents sometime in the future (47% thought it likely and 51% thought it "not likely").
Preparing for the eventual care of their elderly parents does not seem to be a priority or an issue that children are eager to address among those who did not currently provide some sort of care. Only 16% said they had taken any steps to prepare for such an eventuality and 81% said they had not. Even among those who said they believe they are likely to some day be called upon for support, only 22% said they had taken steps to prepare for that possibility. Among respondents who said it wasnt very likely that they would be called upon, just one in 10 had taken steps to prepare for the care of their aging parents.
Additionally, the prospect of sharing responsibility for making these preparations does not significantly affect respondents likelihood of actually doing so. Only one in three respondents under age 60 who have brothers or sisters have discussed their parents future care with their siblings. Of this 31%, two in 10 reported that nothing was decided as a result of these conversations.
More importantly, even fewer respondents have had these types of discussions for future preparations with their parents, and in fact nearly six in 10 (58%) have not. Younger people especially have not talked about these issues--three out of five respondents who are themselves under 60 have not discussed with their parents what will happen if and when they become unable to care for themselves.
Those over 60, however, were somewhat more likely to have had some decisions with their parents; 45% said they had discussed the issues with their parents and about the same number (47%) had not.
The parents' perspective: The family bond
As the "children" reported, about seven in 10 respondents older than 60 live in the same area as at least one of their children. Eighty-five percent of women are in very close touch with their children, seeing or speaking with them once a week or more, and more than three-quarters of men (76%) say they are in touch once a week or more.
Parents were far less likely to predict that they would one day be supported by their children, and in fact most (79%) say they think it is not likely that their children will one day have to support them. Men are somewhat less likely than women to acknowledge that they might one day need help from their children, with 86% of men and 73% of women saying it is not likely. Twenty-two percent of women say either they are already being helped by their children or think it is very or somewhat likely that such support will be needed in the future. Only 13% of men admit to being in that position.
About four in 10 parents have discussed the issue of their future care with their children, and the older the parent is, the more likely they are to have had such conversations. About a quarter of all respondents said the discussions had reached no particular conclusions, but:
*17% said they would move to a nursing home
*11% said they had decided they would move to an assisted care home if necessary
*10% said they had insisted they would stay in their own home no matter what happened
Retirement
As baby boomers age, retirement is a lurking reality for the largest chunk of the nations adult population. Correspondingly, the poll sought to determine boomers perceptions of retirement and also asked a series of questions to retirees about their life since retirement.
Perceptions of retirement
When respondents of all ages were asked what they thought about retirement, their replies were mostly positive. One-third said retirement meant having more free time. About a quarter of all respondents said retirement meant time for travel, and a similar proportion said it meant not having to go in to work everyday. However, anxiety about future financial security was a concern associated with retirement, with nearly one out of five saying they thought about whether they would have enough money for retirement.
Part of this financial anxiety stems from the fact that boomers in particular place little faith in pensions and even less in the reliability of Social Security, and are thus looking to the stock market to float their retirement boats.
Respondents who were already retired were much less likely to cite concern over money and also somewhat less likely to speak dreamily of travel than their younger counterparts.
In good news for older Americans, the survey also found little support for the idea that older workers should step aside to make room for the next generation. In fact, nearly three in five said they think older people should be encouraged to work beyond retirement age because of the experience they contribute; under one in seven said they think older workers should be encouraged to retire early. A quarter think it should be left up to the working individual to decide.
Interestingly, retired respondents are less likely (50%) than those who are still working (62%) to say that older people should be encouraged to work beyond retirement age.
Retirees: How retirement is turning out
The survey found that most respondents retired before the age of 65, and most said they felt they had retired at just the right time in life, though a sizeable group -- a quarter of retirees--did feel that they had retired too early.
Retired respondents reported enjoying their free time and the freedom of not having to work. Additionally, retired people are as satisfied with life overall as people who arent retired.
Financially, the survey found most retirees are also doing well. A very large majority said their funds are holding out as expected, with a handful saying that money is stretching even further than theyd hoped.However, in contrast to the plans baby boomers are making for their futures, this group relies heavily on Social Security and pensions.
Growing old
Not surprisingly, when asked to choose their ideal age, the younger the respondent, the younger their ideal age. However, no age group cited an "old" age as the ideal.
At the same time, majorities in most demographic groups said they look forward to growing older, and nearly a quarter (24%) say that the best time of a persons life is over 50.
However, there is also a sizeable minority that do not in fact look forward to the aging process. For example, more than two out of five (42%) men between the ages of 18 and 44 say they are not looking forward to growing older, as well as 38% of boomers overall.
Additionally, a majority of respondents--65%--say that the best time of a persons life is before 50. Older Americans--those over 60--were more divided, with 42% saying the ideal age was under 50 and 43% saying over 50.
Changing norms: You are what you do
The survey showed that there is a national disagreement over the notion that you are what you do for a living. Forty five percent agree that you are what you do (25% strongly agree, 20% somewhat agree). On the other hand, a bare majority--51%--disagree with this sentiment (32% disagree very strongly, 18% somewhat strongly).
There is some indication that this value may be changing. When the Poll asked the same question a little more than a decade ago (April, 1989) the exact opposite finding was reported. Over half (53%) said they agreed with the statement in that previous survey while 44% said they disagreed. Only 25% said they disagreed strongly while 29% said they agreed strongly.
Death, loneliness and suicide
Death is not a subject that most people enjoy discussing, perhaps due to the assumption that people -- and especially the elderly--are afraid to die.
Interestingly, the poll data showed that most people do not think about death. Those who do acknowledge thinking about death go on record as saying that they are not afraid of it. About a fifth of all respondents say they do in fact think about death sometime or another.
Moreover, it is the older generation (65+) who thinks about death the least and who are least likely to fear dying and the youngest ones (18-29) who think about and fear it most:
*19% of those 65 and over say they never think about death (3% of those 18-29 never think about it)
*7% of those 65 and over say they are afraid to die (20% of 18-29 year-olds)Similarly, the older generation is least likely to have reported that they have experienced loneliness, depression or considered suicide:
*17% of those 65 and over say they are never lonely (9% of the 18-29 year-olds)
*14% of those 65 and older say they are never depressed (4% of 18-29 year-olds)
*93% of the 65 and over group has never considered suicide (80% of 18-29 year-olds)
How the Poll Was Conducted
The Times Poll contacted 1,589 adults nationwide, including 807 respondents 60 years of age and over, by telephone October 20-23, 1999. Telephone numbers were chosen from a list of all exchanges in the nation. Random-digit dialing techniques were used so that listed and non-listed numbers could be contacted. The entire sample was weighted slightly to conform with census figures for sex, race, age, education and region. The margin of sampling error for the entire sample is plus or minus 3 percentage points; for those 60 years of age and older, it is 4 points. For certain subgroups the error margin may be somewhat higher. Poll results can also be affected by other factors such as question wording and the order in which questions are presented.