Skip to content
Search
Search
 

Legal Needs of Older Floridians: A 2006 Survey

by Erica L. Dinger, J.D., AARP Knowledge Management, AARP Research, February 2007

This and Related Articles

Report Home

The top legal concerns of age 60+ Florida residents with incomes below $30,000 are government benefits, health care, and estate issues, according to this 2006 AARP mail survey that examines a range of legal concerns, including health care coverage, housing issues, hurricane-damage repair, consumer fraud, and legal services.

Of those surveyed...

  • 95 percent have health care coverage, the most common source of coverage being Medicare (41%).
  • 50 percent are concerned about being able to find and keep affordable, quality health care coverage.
  • 30 percent say they are extremely or very concerned about legal housing issues, such as disputes about rent or unsafe living conditions.
  • 37 percent have experienced hurricane damage to their homes in the past three years, and 59 percent are extremely or very concerned about hurricane repair problems.
  • 57 percent are extremely or very concerned about becoming the victim of a consumer fraud or swindle, with 21 percent saying they have been victimized in this way.
  • 26 percent have consulted a lawyer in the past three years, mostly about estate issues (65%) or guardianship/power of attorney (27%). Many who felt they needed a lawyer did not see one (26%). Of these, 64 percent said it was because lawyers are too expensive.

This mail survey of 3,750 respondents was conducted by AARP from October through December, 2006. It targeted Floridians age 60 and older with incomes under $30,000. For more information, contact the report's author, Erica Dinger, at 202-434-6176. (58 pages)