Skip to content
Search
Search
 

2012 Survey of AARP Members in Indiana on Election Issues

by Joanne Binette, AARP Research & Strategic Analysis, AARP Research, March 2013

This and Related Reports

The AARP Indiana State Office commissioned a survey to explore the views of its members on the topics of long-term care, caregiving, livable communities, retirement security, older workers and utilities.

Long-Term Care

  • 89% of AARP members in Indiana say it is extremely or very important to have long-term care services that would help themselves or their family members stay at home as long as possible.
  • 70% are not very or not at all confident that they can afford long-term care services for themselves or their family members. 
  • 71% support increasing funding for services that would help people to stay in their own homes and communities longer even if it meant reducing funding for nursing homes. 
  • 71% also say they would be more likely to vote for a candidate for Governor who supports increasing funding for services that would help people to stay in their own homes and communities longer while only 2% say they would be less likely to vote for such a candidate.  16% say it would make no difference in how they vote, and 9% are not sure.  


Caregiving

  • One-third of AARP members in Indiana says they are currently providing care for a relative, friend, spouse, companion, or partner 18 years or older who is ill, frail, elderly, or has a physical, mental or emotional disability (12%) or have provided this type of care for someone in the past five years (20%). 
  • 42% of caregivers say they have had to change their work schedule or take time off, and 5% have had to go from a full-time to part-time work schedule. 
  • 15% have had to give up working entirely, and 8% have had to take a leave of absence from their job. 
  • About a third says they have had to go into their personal savings (34%) or make changes to their home (33%) in order to provide care for someone. 
  • 10% have had to move into another home to better accommodate care recipients.    


Livable Communities

  • 32% of AARP members in Indiana say they are extremely or very satisfied with the safety of the streets in their community while 23% say they are not very or not at all satisfied with street safety. Another 40% say they are somewhat satisfied with street safety.   
  • About half or more say they cannot walk safely from their home to the doctor’s office (63%), pharmacy (52%), grocery store (49%), parks or recreation areas (45%) or their jobs (58%). 
  • 46% say they would be more likely to vote for a candidate for Governor who supports policies that would ensure streets in their community would be made safe for all users including walkers, bicyclists, and public transportation users while only 2% would be less likely to vote for such a candidate.  39% say it would make no difference in how they vote, and 11% are unsure.  


Older Workers

  • 53% of AARP members in Indiana are fully retired and no longer working. 
  • 6% are retired and working again either full or part-time.
  • 22% are working full-time, and 8% are working part-time.
  • 50% say they would continue working at their present job as long as they are able. 
  • 47% say they would work part-time and pursue other interests. 
  • 21% say they would continue working at their present job but at reduced hours.
  • 39% say they would strongly support tax incentives for businesses hiring older workers and 27% would somewhat support this action.  Only 3% are opposed to this action.  


Retirement Security

  • 37% of AARP members in Indiana are not very or not at all confident that they will live comfortably throughout their retirement years, and another 43% are only somewhat confident about their financial security during retirement.
  • 14% are extremely or very confident that they will have or currently have enough money to live comfortably throughout their retirement years.
  • 57% say they are currently saving or have saved for their retirement, not including Social Security.  However, 30% say they are not saving or have not saved for their retirement.  Saving is more prevalent among those with higher incomes.
  • 70% believe employers should be required to provide retirement savings plans for their workers while only 11% do not believe in requiring employers to do this and 17% are not sure.


Utilities

  • 69% of AARP members in Indiana are extremely or very concerned about the costs of their electricity increasing while only 5% say they are not very or not at all concerned about this. 
  • 64% say they have natural gas in their homes, and of these respondents 67% are extremely or very concerned about the costs of their natural gas increasing. 
  • 75% say they would be more likely to vote for a candidate for Governor who commits to ensuring that the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) sets affordable utility rates while only 1% says they would be less likely to vote for such a candidate.  14% say it would make no difference in how they vote, and 8% are not sure.    


These results are based on a mail survey fielded August 21 to September 18, 2012 of 2,000 AARP members in Indiana. A total of 733 surveys were returned. The results are weighted to reflect the AARP membership population in Indiana. For more information, contact Joanne Binette at 202-434-6303.