Growing Older in America: Trends and Implications for Public Policy

The aging of the population and decreasing capacity of individuals to afford retirement, exacerbated by the current recession, have intensified concerns about the federal government's capacity to support its growing aging population. In 2010, CommonHealth ACTION and BETAH Associates, Inc. administered a second online survey (1,022 respondents) exploring respondents' aging preparedness, their worries about aging, their concerns about the government's ability to support them, and their access to the Internet and anticipated use of technology.

Results showed that respondents were most concerned about the future cost and availability of affordable health care, that they hoped to age in place but were uncertain about the availability of affordable housing and transportation, and that they experienced pervasive uncertainty and apprehension about the government's ability to support an aging population. The majority had Internet access and planned to use computer technology. Women and those in historically underserved groups were particularly vulnerable to economic disadvantage as they aged. We will solicit a larger, more diverse sample in 2011 through broader dissemination of the survey. Our presentation will incorporate 2011 findings with those from the previous surveys, examine trends, and identify specific policy implications. For example, the US currently lacks a foundation of home and community-based supportive services to enable older adults to remain in their homes and communities (age in place). The paper will provide recommendations for policies that can address the needs of a growing and increasingly diverse aging population.