To President Bush: Better Health Coverage Tops Public's Wish-List
WASHINGTON—Dec. 9, 2005—Most Americans (58%) hope to live past age 85, although only 43% think they actually will, according to a new national poll released today by Research!America and PARADE magazine.
Fewer than half (46%) think older people are viewed with respect in America, and 62% say older persons face discrimination in today's society. Almost half (49%) think 80-year-olds in the year 2025 will be much healthier than today but will still be very limited in their abilities compared to younger people.
With the White House Conference on Aging set to start Dec. 11, "better health coverage" would top Americans' list of suggestions to President Bush if they were delegates at the conference, which is held once each decade to make recommendations to the President and Congress. More than three quarters (78%) of Americans say providing health care coverage for all Americans is "very important."
"The fact that Americans are living longer-and, for the most part, better-than earlier generations is a great accomplishment," said Bill Novelli, CEO of AARP and a Research!America board member. "As a nation, we need to explore ways to become a society where we all can look forward to aging in good health, with dignity and purpose." In the PARADE/Research!America Health Poll, AARP was the only organization a significant number of Americans (35%) named as focusing on age-related issues.
Physical limitations, more than anything else, make Americans think of someone as old-30% cite physical problems, whereas 15% say mental problems make a person seem old. Exactly half say being active, energetic and busy is the primary attribute that makes someone seem young. Just 13% cite appearance.
"Americans are living longer and better than ever before, thanks to progress in science and medical research," said Lee Kravitz, editor of PARADE. "The first Baby Boomers, including the President and First Lady, will celebrate their 60th birthday next year, and we can expect the Boomers to keep showing their unprecedented capacity to do, to enjoy and to influence the world around them." Selected results from the poll will be reported in the December 11 issue of PARADE.
"Americans want to live long lives, and clearly they view staying healthy and active as critical to maintaining quality of life as they age," said Mary Woolley, president, Research!America. "From other Research!America polls, we know Americans connect health and medical research to improved quality as well as length of life, both now and down the road."
Research!America is the nation's largest not-for-profit public education and advocacy alliance working to make medical and health research-including research to prevent disease, disability and injury and to promote health-a much higher national priority. Research!America has been gauging Americans' attitudes toward medical and health research for more than a decade. A report on the poll findings is available at www.researchamerica.org.
Each Sunday, PARADE, the largest circulation magazine in the world, has a conversation with America-educating, entertaining and empowering its 79 million readers. For more than 60 years, PARADE's columns, in-depth articles and inspiring stories have helped people to affect change in their lives, their communities and the world. PARADE is distributed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia through more than 350 newspapers.
Charlton Research Company conducted the telephone survey Oct. 23-Nov. 3, 2005, among
1,000 adults nationwide, for Research!America and PARADE. The sample was proportionate to the country's demographics, including age, geography, gender and ethnicity. The survey has a sampling error of ±3.1 percentage points.
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