Results from a 2015 study of long-term care attitudes and behaviors among Americans age 40 and older reveal several key differences between Hispanics and non-Hispanics. Very few Hispanics report planning for long-term care, and they are worried about the lack of preparation. Nearly half say they are concerned about not planning enough compared to a third of non-Hispanics. Worry about planning and the lack of specific planning actions are especially acute among low-income Hispanics.
In 2015, The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, with funding from The SCAN Foundation, completed the third in a series of studies assessing the aging population’s attitudes about and personal experiences with long-term care in the United States. Since 2013, these studies have found that many older Americans expect to one day need long-term care, though they have done little to prepare and lack knowledge and confidence regarding the financial aspects of care. The 2015 study includes 1,735 interviews with a nationally representative sample of adults age 40 and older, including oversamples of 419 Hispanics and 460 Californians age 40 and older.
This report focuses on Hispanics’ attitudes and experiences with long-term care in America in 2015. The U.S. Census projects that the Hispanic population in the United States will more than double by the year 2060, far outpacing the growth of the non-Hispanic population. By then, Hispanics are expected to comprise about 21 percent of the U.S. population age 65 and older. Through an oversample of Hispanics age 40 and older, The AP-NORC Center has conducted a thorough and rigorous analysis of this important, growing demographic group. We find several changes to this group’s expectations and experiences with long-term care compared to past years and that Hispanics’ attitudes and behavior diverge from non-Hispanics in several important ways.
Three Things You Should Know
From The AP-NORC Center’s Long-Term Care Poll
Among Hispanic adults age 40 and older:
- A majority (59 percent) say it is at least somewhat likely they will need care in the future, though few (12 percent) have planned a great deal or quite a bit for it.
- Nearly half (47 percent) say they are at least quite a bit concerned about not planning enough for their future care.
- Few (23 percent) say they are confident they will have the financial resources they need to pay for long-term care needs, and a majority (53 percent) say they expect to rely on Medicaid for care as they grow older.
