Areas Identified to Help Individuals and Communities Prepare for Successful Aging

Each day, 10,000 Americans celebrate their 65th birthday - and by 2030, 
almost 1 in 5 Americans will be at least 65 years old. Is the United States 
ready to care for the growing number of seniors? Is Indianapolis ready?
According to 2013 United States of Aging Survey, conducted by the National
Council on Aging (NCOA), United Healthcare and USA TODAY, released today,
Indianapolis seniors have a positive outlook on their future and the aging
process.  However, 1 in 3 Indianapolis seniors polled say the community can
do more to prepare for a booming senior population.
Based on survey results, Indianapolis seniors would like to see investments
in better public transportation (29 percent) and more affordable health care
services and housing (23 percent respectively). Nationally, adults ages
18-59 are even less likely to believe their community is doing enough to
prepare for their needs as they grow older (41 percent).
"In previous surveys we've done locally, nearly half of seniors said they
are concerned about being able to stay in their homes and communities
because of finances and the costs of care," Orion Bell, president and CEO of
CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions, said. "As more people age, our community
needs to work together to encourage more saving and investments so seniors
can maintain their standard of living without sacrificing the quality of
their lives."
How prepared are seniors themselves?
While 81 percent of Indianapolis seniors have done some preparation for
their senior years and most are not worried about their health or financial
security, area seniors also are more likely to have chronic health
conditions and depend on Social Security compared with their peers
nationally.
Health Preparedness
Eighty-three percent of Indianapolis seniors say their health in the past
year has been normal or better than normal. However, 3 out of 4 Indianapolis
seniors report having at least two or more chronic health conditions, such
as high blood pressure, arthritis and high cholesterol, and 22 percent
report five or more conditions. More than half (57 percent) of Indianapolis
seniors have not set any specific goals to manage their health as they grow
older. 
Financial Security

While only 13 percent of Indianapolis seniors are very concerned about
whether their savings and income will be sufficient to last the rest of
their lives, nearly half (49 percent) rely on Social Security as their
primary source of income. Only 24 percent indicated savings and investments
as their primary source of income. What's more, one in 10 residents surveyed
said they have had to reduce spending in the past year to pay a regular
bill. 
Staying Active
Seniors say staying connected to friends and family is the most important
aspect to staying active and having a high quality of life in their senior
years. Indianapolis seniors also cited staying mentally active (33 percent),
having a spiritual/religious connection (29 percent) and staying physically
active (23 percent) as important aspects of a quality lifestyle.
The second-annual United States of Aging Survey results were based on 4000
telephone interviews, including nationally representative samples of
Americans ages 60 and older and adults aged 18 to 59. To explore different
perspectives on aging readiness, the survey also oversampled audiences in
five designated markets including Indianapolis.

Orion Bell, president and CEO of CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions, is one of
four panelists who will join Dr. Nancy Snyderman, Chief Medical Officer for
NBC News, at The United States of Aging Town Hall. The panel will discuss
local and national challenges and opportunities of our rapidly growing
senior population. The event will be live-streamed today from 4 to 5:30 p.m.
at http://www.USofAging.USATODAY.com  <<a href="http://www.usofaging.usatoday.com/" target="_blank">http://www.USofAging.USATODAY.com> .
Join in the conversation on Twitter at #USofAging.