Long-Term Care Quality
Iowa Long-Term Care: A Consumer Survey of Adults Age 50 and Over
Research Report
Anita Stowell-Ritter, AARP Knowledge Management
October 2003
While the majority of age 50+ Iowans believe they can afford the cost of long-term care services, a sizable proportion of those who have sought financial assistance to pay for care have experienced difficulty in obtaining assistance in a timely manner. Other findings of this survey of 1,000 midlife and older Iowans include:
- Nine-in-ten respondents report that nursing home care (94%), home-delivered meals (90%), and home health care (90%) are available in their community; however, only half (52%) report the availability of adult day care centers.
- Of those needing long-term care in the past five years, 29 percent report applying for financial assistance, and 81 percent of these individuals received some form of assistance.
- Of those applying for assistance:
- 10 percent report it was very difficult to complete the application process while 28 percent found the process somewhat difficult
- 27 percent report meeting with the agency representatives three or more times to determine their eligibility for services
- 29 percent report waiting for more than a month to get services
- While many respondents say they are very confident (34%) or somewhat confident (34%) they could afford home and community-based care for two years, only half are very confident (23%) or somewhat confident (30%) they could afford the cost of nursing homes or assisted living facilities for two years.
- More than half strongly agree (27%) or somewhat agree (24%) that they would rather do without long-term care services than apply for public assistance, and 8 percent report knowing someone who did without care rather than apply for assistance.
The random digit dial (RDD) telephone survey of 1,000 age 50+ Iowa residents was conducted between March 12 and March 27, 2003. The report was prepared by Anita Stowell-Ritter of AARP Knowledge Management who may be contacted at 202-434-6205 for further information. (45 pages).