Survey Report: Driving Toward Age-Friendly Care for the Future

JAHF Web MD Survey Results Book cover web2

The John A. Hartford Foundation and WebMD have published a consumer survey report of older adults, "Driving Toward Age-Friendly Care for the Future."

The survey asked more than 2,700 older adults and family caregivers, randomly intercepted throughout WebMD.com, what they know and how they feel about age-friendly health systems. Questions were asked about attitudes to and experiences with the “4Ms” of care—the essential set of elements that systems need to address for older adults: what matters, medication, mentation, and mobility. Data were segmented by sex, race/ethnicity, and chronic conditions, as well as other factors.

The survey found that older adult patients and caregivers have little knowledge of the specific concept of age-friendly health systems, and, the more conditions one has, the less familiarity there is. Misinformation is rife, with most older patients and caregivers mistakenly believing that sharp declines in quality of life are inevitable. More than 40% of respondents incorrectly believe depression is an inevitable part of aging, and three in four older adults are not aware that they have the right to ask for, and receive, healthcare that is tailored to what matters to them.

To read the report, click here.
To learn more about the Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative, click here.