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The Other “Talk”: Adults Evade Long-Term Care Talks with Aging Parents, Says Survey

Long-term care is an uncomfortable topic – and a recent survey confirms the extent to which we avoid those conversations with elderly parents.

The survey probes into the emotional and financial obstacles that families deal with and the help that they are looking for. The survey also finds the misunderstandings and beliefs of senior care. It shows that nearly 50% of US adults are caring for a child and an elderly parent.

More on the survey findings at BusinessWire:

Parents Would Rather Have the “Sex Talk” Than Take the Keys Away From Aging Parents. While a majority of people (85%) believe they have a good grasp of their parent’s or aging loved one’s health, 52% haven’t discussed senior care issues with them. Their top reasons to avoid the talk include knowing their parent(s) or aging loved one(s) would react defensively (15%) and their own discomfort with the subject (20%). Talking about money, health, and end-of-life care is so uncomfortable that 54% would rather have the “sex talk” with their children than tackle a conversation about their aging parent not being able to drive anymore. But good news from those who have already broached the topic – 60% say the seniors in their life did not react defensively when asked about their health.

More Than Half Don’t Plan to Talk About Senior Care Until There’s a Need. 55% of people plan to discuss senior care issues with aging loved ones if/when a need arises, while only 30% plan on doing so beforehand. Those who have had the senior care talk say it was precipitated by a major medical incident, such as a bad fall or heart attack.

Families Don’t Know the True Cost of Senior Care. Whether it’s non-medical homecare or a nursing home, families underestimate the costs for senior care. 67% of those surveyed anticipate that maximum costs for full-time care in a nursing home would fall under $80,000 annually, and approximately 1 in 4 people (26%) think it costs half what it actually does! The reality? According to a Genworth survey on senior care costs, the national average cost for a nursing home starts at $82,125 and ranges up to $92,378. For non-medical home care, 57% believe it costs less than $40,000 per year while the national annualized average cost actually ranges from $45,760 to $46,332 for 44 hours per week. However, when it comes to adult day health care, people overestimate the expense, with 61% thinking it costs more than double the actual amount of $17,680 per year.

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