A survey research program conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research with funding from The SCAN Foundation
About half of adults in America think Medicare and Medicaid should play large roles in paying for ongoing living assistance for older adults and there is broad and bipartisan support for a host of policies to help pay for the costs of long-term care and caregiving.
The lives of most adults in America remain different than they were before the pandemic, as more than half are still at least somewhat concerned about COVID-19 infection and think steps like vaccination and effective treatments are essential to participate fully in public life again.
Most adults age 50 and older feel confident about their access to services to help them age in their communities, but those living in rural areas and Black or Hispanic older adults have more reservations about the services in their area that support aging.
The population of Americans age 65 and older is growing at an unprecedented rate. In 2014, there were 46.2 million adults age 65 and older, and this number is expected to more than double to comprise about 98 million older adults by the year 2060. How to plan for and finance high-quality long-term care will remain a key policy question for lawmakers in the years to come. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, with funding from The SCAN Foundation, is undertaking a series of major studies on the public’s experiences with, and opinions and attitudes about, long-term care in the United States.
