2012 Survey of People 50+ in Texas About Long-Term Care Funding

AARP’s Texas State Office, in response to its commitment to protect funding for long-term care services for Texans, commissioned this survey to explore the views of people 50+ in Texas. 

Key findings include:

• Most people in Texas who are 50 years of age or older say that the State of Texas should increase funding for long-term care -- 62 percent say that long-term care funding should be increased; 22 percent say to maintain the same level of funding for long-term care; and 6 percent say that funding for long-term care should be decreased.
• Most people in Texas who are 50 years of age or older say that it is important to increase the quality of care received in nursing homes and make it easier for people to receive long-term care services at home -- 77 percent say that it is extremely or very important to increase the quality of care in nursing homes; another 16 percent say it is somewhat important; six percent say it is not too or not at all important.  73 percent say that it is extremely or very important to make it easier for people to receive long-term care services at home.  Another 17 percent say it is somewhat important.  Eight percent say it is not too or not at all important.
• Most people in Texas who are 50 years of age and older support increasing wages of long-term care workers -- 73 percent say that they strongly or somewhat support the State of Texas increasing the wages of long-term care workers in order to attract more workers and keep them longer.  Eleven percent somewhat or strongly oppose, and 15 percent are undecided.

RDD Field Services conducted a telephone survey of Texas residents 50+ on December 1 through December 9, 2012. A total of 880 interviews were completed. Survey responses were weighted to reflect the actual distribution of age and gender for people 50+ in Texas. For more information, contact Terri Guengerich at 202-434-6306.