AARP Indiana Legislative Issues Survey

By: Susan L. Silberman, Ph.D., AARP Knowledge Management; | March 31, 2005

AARP MEMBER OPINION RESEARCH: This survey explores the attitudes and opinions of 1,246 AARP members in Indiana regarding several consumer and legislative matters, and gauges the issues they think should be AARP's top legislative priorities in their state.

Issues cited as top priorities by those surveyed include:

• access to affordable prescription drugs (72 percent)
• preventing elder abuse (54 percent)
• improving the quality of nursing homes in Indiana (49 percent)
• enabling older persons to remain in their own homes or communities as they age (48 percent)
• consumer protection against fraud (48 percent)
• affordable utilities (40 percent)

Specifically, of those responding to the survey…

• 94 percent consider it important to have long-term care services that would enable them or their family members to stay at home as long as possible when long-term care is needed
  
  
• 87 percent support increasing fines for lenders that violate the state ' s predatory mortgage lending laws
  
  
• 78 percent are concerned about being able to afford the cost of needed prescription drugs over the next two years, and 83 percent say it is important that the state continue funding its HoosierRx program to help low-income seniors pay for their prescription drugs
  
  
• 80 percent oppose cuts to health and long-term care services for children, older persons, and people with disabilities while cuts to education (including K-12 and higher education) are opposed by 72 percent, and cuts to municipalities and counties that pay for fire and police protection, senior centers, and parks and recreation by 71 percent

Survey findings have been divided into five topical segments which have been published individually, and may be accessed by clicking on the appropriate subject listed below:

The mail survey was conducted during September and October 2004, and the report prepared by Susan L. Silberman, Ph.D. of AARP Knowledge Management who may be contacted at 202-434-6339 for further information.