2015 AARP Survey of South Dakota Registered Voters Age 45 and Older on Caregiving

The recently released study found that nearly all South Dakota family caregivers age 45-plus believe it is important to be able to provide care so that their loved ones can keep living independently in their own home and many would prefer that they or their loved ones be cared for at home if necessary. More than 80 percent of South Dakota registered voters age 45 and older supports measures in The Caregiver Advise, Record and Enable (CARE) Act, which will help unpaid family caregivers when their loved ones go into the hospital and as they transition home. The bill features three important provisions that require hospitals to provide instructions on the medical tasks the family caregiver may need to perform at home, keep a family caregiver informed of major decisions, like transferring or discharging the patient, and to engage with caregivers by recording the name of the family caregiver when a loved one is admitted into a hospital.

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Key findings include:

• Most South Dakota registered voters age 45 and older have experiences as family caregivers, or believe they are likely to be caregivers in the future.
• More than 80 percent of South Dakota registered voters age 45 and older support the measures in The Caregiver Advise, Record and Enable (CARE) Act.
• Both current and former caregivers have provided care in a myriad of ways, with seventy percent assisting with more complex care like medication management (63%), and other medical tasks (63%).
• Most South Dakota registered voters age 45 and older (71%) believe that being cared for at home with caregiver assistance is the ideal situation when the basic tasks of life become more difficult due to aging or illness.
• More than eight in ten have also helped loved ones in their care with household management activities like shopping (84%), transportation (84%), and chores (81%).  

AARP South Dakota commissioned a telephone survey of 800 registered voters age 45 and older to learn about. This report highlights results from registered voters interviewed between December 2nd and December 23rd, 2014. The data in this report has been weighted by age and gender to reflect the South Dakota population age 45 and older.  For more information, contact Cassandra Burton at CCantave@aarp.org.