America ranks 50th in terms of lifespan and 68th in the world in terms of healthspan, according to the Institute for Health Metrics. A national survey, “Meeting the Growing Demand for Age-Friendly Care: Health Care at the Crossroads,” released by Age Wave and The John A. Hartford Foundation, conducted by The Harris Poll, found 82 percent of older adults say the United State health care system is not prepared for the growing and changing needs of America’s aging population. Just 11 percent give the health care system an ‘A’ grade. Older adults want solutions that will maximize their golden years, like interventions that make care more affordable, innovations to reduce or prevent cognitive decline, and health care providers who understand what matters most to them when assessing care options.
Survey highlights:
- Need for age-friendly care. Most older adults (94 percent) say it is more important to maintain quality of life than it is to live as long as possible. Only 58 percent of older adults with a health care provider report that their providers currently ask about what matters to them.
- Not enough qualified providers. Experts say health care organizations have struggled to meet people’s needs in part because of workforce and talent shortages. Between 2000 and 2022, the United States population of adults aged 65 and older rose 60 percent, while the number of geriatricians dropped 28 percent.
- Unaffordable care. The poll shows health care costs are a bigger concern to older adults than living expenses, inflation, tax increases, and an economic downturn or recession. Just 16 percent give an ‘A’ grade to satisfaction with their out-of-pocket costs. Older adults say one of their greatest concerns is not being able to afford future health and long-term care needs (68 percent).
- Low-quality nursing homes. An estimated 36 million Americans have a family member or friend living in a nursing home or memory care facility. Just 37 percent of those adults ages 18+ say their family member or friend receives high-quality care.
- Lack of coordination. While 52 percent of Medicare beneficiaries see more than three physicians per year, half of older adults from the survey say their primary care provider does not coordinate their treatment with their other health care providers.
- Confusion over coverage. 56 percent of older adults say it is difficult and stressful to navigate the current health care system.
After reviewing all survey findings, The John A. Hartford Foundation and Age Wave identified five key recommendations to improve health care for older adults and promote healthier, happier aging, including:
- Promote age-friendly care that helps older adults maintain their health, ability to function and independence—focusing on wellness and quality of life rather than treating diseases.
- Pursue scientific breakthroughs that could bring an end to diseases like Alzheimer’s.
- Address social isolation in older adults by supporting tools for empathetic and respectful mental health care and support, tailored to individual needs.
- Assist family caregivers with skill-building tools, flexibility in taking paid leave and ensuring care providers coordinate among multiple providers—making care easier to navigate.
- Support a “national master plan for aging” that is centered on the needs of older adults and identifies and addresses barriers that contribute to inequities—specifically a plan for financing long-term care and reform of nursing homes, including systems to provide health care in people’s homes rather than in acute and congregate settings.