Alaska Commission on Aging’sSurvey of Senior Concerns

2005

Total Responses: 1,451

Senior Responses: 1,256

Boomer et al Responses: 195

Demographic Characteristics of Respondents

• Typical survey respondent was:– Female– Age 77– Alaska resident for more than 40 years– Living alone– Anchorage resident– Living in own home– Driver of own car– Volunteer in the community– Not a user of any senior services

Gender of Senior Responders

71%

29%

Female Male

Age Group of Senior Responders

27%

40%

30%

3%

60 to 69 70 to 79 80 to 89 90 to 99

Seniors' Length of Alaska Residency

3% 5%

16%

21%46%

9%

Less than 5 years 5 to 14 years 15 to 30 years

31 to 40 years More than 40 years All my life - born here

Seniors' Household Size

48%

43%

5%

2%

1%1%

0%

One Two Three Four Five Six Seven

Seniors' Region of Residence

42%

24%

16%

15%3%

0%

Anchorage Fairbanks/Interior SouthEast

SouthCentral SouthWest Northern

Seniors' Housing Type

68%

9%

8%

6%

2%

1%6%

0%0%

Own home

Senior housing

Rentedhouse/apartment

Family member'shome

Family member'srental

Assisted livingfacility

Rooming house orhotel

Homeless shelter

Other

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Home I Own Home FamilyMember

Owns

SeniorHousing

Home/Apt. IRent

Home/Apt.Family

MemberRents

RoomingHouse/Hotel

HomelessShelter

Assistedliving facility

Other

Seniors Who Prefer Other Housing, by Current Housing Type

What Seniors Want in Housing• 21.5% of seniors overall say they would like some other type of

housing• Types of housing they would like:

– Own home, or downsized home– Single level home – Condo or townhouse in seniors-only development– Planned community, retirement community– Senior housing for middle-income people– Better maintained building – more heat, repairs, less noise, safer– Indoor plumbing, running water, kitchen, larger space– Assisted living apartment with personal care and meals– Independent living apartment with some services– Senior community with assisted living and nursing home care– More senior housing– Affordable housing

Seniors: Own and Drive a Car?

81%

19%

Yes No

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Under 50 50's 60's 70's 80's 90's

Percentage of Drivers by Age Group

Yes No

92%

90%

87%

85%74%

38%

Seniors: Volunteer in Community?

56%

44%

Yes No

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

Less than$500

$500 -$999

$1,000 -$1,499

$1,500 -$1,999

$2,000 -$2,999

$3,000 -$3,999

$4,000 -$4,999

$5,000 -$5,999

$6,000 -$6,999

$7,000 -$7,999

$8,000 -$8,999

$9,000 -$9,999

$10,000or more

Seniors' Household Income

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Seniors' Sources of Household Income

Yes No

89%

85%

52%

16% 14% 13%7%

6% 6% 3%11%

Typical “Other” Income Sources:

• Income from rental properties• Annuity• Trust• VA pension• Military disability• Food bank; heating and fuel assistance• Self-employment• Inheritance

Seniors: Income Sufficient for Needs?

21%

37%

42%

No Yes, but no extras Yes

0

50

100

150

200

250

Nothing $1 to$24

$25 to$49

$50 to$74

$75 to$99

$100 to$199

$200 to$299

$300 to$399

$400 to$499

$500 to$599

$600 to$699

$700 to$799

$800 to$899

$900 to$999

$1,000or more

Seniors' Monthly Out-of-Pocket Drug Costs

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Medicare Employer/UnionInsurance

Private payinsurance

Medicaid Indian HealthService

No coverage

Seniors' Sources of Health Coverage

Yes No

84%

50%

20%

13%

5% 2%

Seniors: Problem Accessing Health Care?

24%

76%

Yes No

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

Unable to pay Service notavailable in area

Unable to getappointment

No transportation Other

Problem Preventing Access to Health Care

Typical “Other” Problems Accessing Health Care:

• Doctors not accepting Medicare, Medicaid, Blue Cross, TriCare

• Doctors not taking new patients/seniors• Can’t get dental care, eye care, home

health care• Doctors don’t listen, charge excessively,

messed up my meds, incompetent• Shortage of specialists, gerontologists• VA care difficult to access

Seniors in the Community

• More than half (56%) volunteer their services on a regular basis

• 16% work outside the home for pay• Many act as family caregivers:

– 9% care for elderly family members– 8% care for a person with a disability– 8% provide child care

• 40% visit a Senior Center regularly• 79% know where to go with questions about

services for seniors

Seniors: As Involved in Community as They'd Like to Be?

57%

43%

Yes No

Reasons for Lack of Involvement:

• Health, disability, mobility concerns (45%)

• Not enough time (16%)

• Transportation problems (11%)

• Caregiver responsibilities (7%)

• Financial issues (3%)

• Job responsibilities (2%)

• Other reasons (16%)

Typical “Other” Reasons for Lack of Involvement:

• “Age,” “old age,” “too old,” “too tired”

• Busy with personal interests

• Don’t know about opportunities available

• Live too far from town

• People of a different political persuasion are in charge of everything

• Weather, ice, darkness

Senior Services: Little Used, Mostly Appreciated

• Senior Center meals are the service used by the most seniors (27%)

• Senior Center meals are also the service with the greatest percentage of satisfied users (92%)

• Usage of other services ranged from 15% down to 2%

• Chore service had the lowest percentage of satisfied users (61%)

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Senior CenterMeals

Home-Delivered

Meals

Transportation Respite Care CareCoordination

Adult Day Chore PCA

Seniors Using Services, with Percent Not Satisfied

Satisfied Not Satisfied

8%8%

24%

16%

26%22% 39%

21%26%

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

FinancialSecurity

Health Care Housing Leadership Services Transportation Other

Top Issue for Seniors: Now and In Ten Years

Now In 10 Yrs

Seniors’ Concerns About Financial Security

• Fixed income can’t keep up with accelerating cost of living

• Insecurity about Social Security• Cost of housing, services, care• Being able to afford to stay in Alaska• End of Longevity Bonus creates hardship; fear loss of

other senior benefits• High property taxes, other taxes• Cost of food, fuel, transportation• Costs of health care and medication• Costs of long term care

Seniors’ Comments About Leadership Vacuum as Greatest Problem

• Lack of support from the legislature – they want seniors to leave Alaska

• State apathy towards senior citizens• State and federal governments refusing to honor their commitments

to us – we paid our dues• Unstable state financing for programs• Lack of good state fiscal policy• Politicians endangering Social Security and Medicare• Need to ensure Permanent Fund will still be available for our

children and grandchildren• Reduce government spending• Resources of Alaska should be developed for the benefit of

Alaskans• Balance the state budget