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2003 AARP South Carolina Member Opinion Survey

Published September 2003


Report Prepared by Cassandra Cantave Burton

Copyright © 2003 AARP

Knowledge Management 601 E Street NW

Washington, DC 20049 http://research.aarp.org

Reprinting with Permission

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization dedicated to making life better for people 50 and over. We provide information and resources; engage in legislative, regulatory and legal advocacy; assist members in serving their communities; and offer a wide range of unique benefits, special products, and services for our members. These include AARP The Magazine, published bimonthly; AARP Bulletin, our monthly newspaper; AARP Segunda Juventud, our quarterly newspaper in Spanish; NRTA Live and Learn, our quarterly newsletter for 50+ educators; and our Web site, www.aarp.org. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Acknowledgements AARP staff from the South Carolina State Office, State Affairs, and Knowledge Management contributed to the design and implementation of this study. Special thanks go to AARP staff including Pamela Roshell and Carrie Sinkler-Parker, South Carolina State Office; Gretchen Straw, Anita Ritter, Rachelle Cummins, Darlene Matthews, and Cheryl Barnes, Knowledge Management. Heather Primm of FGI, Inc. managed the data entry and tabulation of the survey results. Cassandra Cantave Burton, AARP Knowledge Management, wrote the report. For more information, contact Rachelle Cummins at (202) 434-6297.

2003 AARP South Carolina Member Opinion Survey, September 2003

Survey Highlights The AARP South Carolina Member Opinion Survey was conducted from April 17 through May 15, 2003. A random sample of 2,000 AARP members in South Carolina was selected from AARP’s membership database. Fifty-three percent of the sampled South Carolina members returned surveys by the due date, providing 1,067 useable surveys for analysis. The margin of error on a sample of this size is plus or minus 3.1 percent.

• South Carolina members are extremely concerned about making sure that their pension benefits or retirement savings are safe and secure and having access to affordable prescription drugs

• The top legislative priorities of South Carolina members are access to affordable

prescription drugs and the availability, cost, and quality of health care.

• Members say that AARP South Carolina should place top priority on strengthening laws and regulations that will protect home-owners from unfair and deceptive lending practices.

• South Carolina grandparents caring for grandchildren are more likely to feel that it is

very important for grandparents providing care for their grandchildren to have access to affordable child care services that would allow them time to do chores such as house cleaning and grocery shopping compared to other grandparents.

• South Carolina grandparents caring for grandchildren are more likely than

grandparents not caring for grandchildren to want information on fun things to do with their grandchildren, legal rights for grandparents, how to speak to grandchildren about issues, resources for grandparents raising grandchildren, and children’s developmental stages.

2003 AARP South Carolina Member Opinion Survey, September 2003

Table of Contents

About This Survey 2 Findings 3

Member Concerns Member Interaction with AARP Member Legislative Priorities Member Experience and Opinions on Home Loans Member Experience and Opinions on Grandparenting

34677

Demographic Characteristics 11 Conclusions 12 Methodology 13 References 14 Appendix A: Core Question Tables 15 Appendix B: Segments at a Glance 20 Appendix C: Annotated Questionnaire 24

2003 AARP South Carolina Member Opinion Survey, September 2003 2

About This Survey South Carolina’s AARP members face many issues in these changing times. This mail survey seeks to examine some of their experiences and opinions. Members are asked about their state legislative priorities, preferences for involvement with AARP, and preferences for receiving information from AARP. Members are also asked about issues dealing with grandparents who provide regular care for their grandchildren. The Census Bureau says that in 2000, about 2.1 million children nationwide resided in homes maintained by their grandparents. In South Carolina, there were about 90,866 children residing with their grandparents. Among children residing with their grandparents, 4,632 grandparents say they are responsible for most of the basic needs of the grandchildren that live with them. This survey explores the needs, rights, and responsibilities of grandparents caring for their grandchildren. A random sample of 2,000 AARP members in South Carolina was selected from AARP’s membership database. Fifty-three percent of the sampled South Carolina members returned surveys by the due date, providing 1,067 useable surveys for analysis. The margin of error on a sample of this size is plus or minus 3.1 percent. As of July 31, 2003, the number of AARP members in South Carolina was 447,808. This report contains three appendices: the Core Question Tables contains responses for age groups 50-59, 60-74 and 75+ for each item in four core questions; Segments at a Glance summarizes top-rated findings for each age group; and the Annotated Questionnaire is an actual survey with the weighted percent of South Carolina members selecting each response category for each item.


Findings

Member Concerns What issues concern South Carolina members the most? Over three-quarters of South Carolina members express extreme concern about making sure that their pension benefits or retirement savings are safe and secure. Over seven in ten rate having access to affordable prescription drugs as an extreme concern. About 60 percent or more South Carolina members are concerned with 10 of the issues: staying in their homes as they get older, staying physically fit or maintaining a healthy diet, having Medicare coverage, having affordable quality health insurance, having Social Security as a base for retirement, avoiding consumer fraud, having high quality long-term care, becoming ill or disabled, protecting their right to privacy, and preventing elder abuse.

Extreme Concerns among South Carolina Members Weighted n = 1067

14%

27%

30%

32%

36%

48%

51%

55%

59%

59%

59%

60%

61%

61%

63%

64%

64%

66%

71%

77%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Finding work in retirement

Caregiving for a relative

Dealing with loss

Medicaid information

Being a victim of crime

Continuing to drive safely

Safety from violence/terrorism

Consumer protection in health care

Protecting your right to privacy

Preventing elder abuse

Becoming ill or disabled

Quality long-term care

Avoiding consumer fraud

Social Security

Affordable, quality health insurance

Medicare coverage

Staying fit/healthy diet

Staying in own home

Affordable prescription drugs

Pension/retirement benefit safety


Of the top rated issues, members 75+ are more likely to express extreme concern about staying at home than members 50-59. Members 60 and older are more likely to express extreme concern with having Medicare coverage as a base for retirement health insurance than members 50-59, while the younger members are more likely to say finding affordable, high quality health insurance is an extreme concern than older members. See Appendix A for age group differences in the 20 issues rated in the survey. Member Interaction with AARP What types of opportunities through AARP would South Carolina members use? From a list of nine opportunities that AARP could provide in South Carolina to address member interests and concerns, the top three opportunities members would personally use are:

• Written information on topics of interest or concern to them • Referral services to help find resources and services in their community • Activities to improve state laws, policies, regulations, or practices that affect them

Opportunities South Carolina Members Would Personally Use

Weighted n= 1067

19%

29%

29%

37%

40%

42%

47%

55%

63%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Volunteering on AARP activity

Volunteering in community

AARP chapter meeting

Workshop series

One-time educational event

AARP website

Activities to improve state law

Referral services

Written Information

Members under age 75 are more likely than older members to say they would personally use written information (66% vs. 56%) on topics of interest or concern to them. Members age 50-59 are more likely than older members to say they would personally use referral services (63% vs. 54%). Younger members are also more likely to access the AARP website than older members (50-59: 60% vs. 60-74: 40%, 75+: 26%). See Appendix A for age differences in the nine listed opportunities in the survey.


How do South Carolina members want to find out about AARP activities? Seven in ten South Carolina members say that they would like to find out about AARP programs, services, and activities in their community by mail. Roughly half say they would like to read about local AARP activities in community newspapers while more than one-third would prefer the television, website, or a toll-free number.

Options for Learning about AARP Activities in the Community

Weighted n = 1067

15%

18%

21%

23%

25%

35%

36%

37%

48%

70%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Visit AARP kiosk

Contact volunteer

Attend meeting

Hear on radio

Receive email

Call toll-free

Use AARP website

Tune in to TV

Read in newspaper

Receive mail

Younger members (77%) are more likely than those age 60-74 (70%) and ages 75+ (69%) to say they would like to receive information by mail. Younger members (55%) are also more likely than those ages 60-74 (35%) or ages 75+ (12%) to say they would like to use an AARP website to access AARP information. Members age 75+ (45%) are more likely than younger members age 50-59 (34%) to want to tune in to a local TV channel or program. See Appendix A for age differences in the ten ways to find out about AARP activities.


Member Legislative Priorities What are the top legislative priorities for South Carolina members? Three-fourths or more of South Carolina members rate access to affordable prescription drugs; the availability, cost, and quality of health care; preventing elder abuse; how older persons can remain in their own homes or communities as they age; consumer protections for health insurance; availability, cost and quality of long-term care services; and consumer protections against fraud as top or high legislative priorities for AARP South Carolina.

Top and High Priority Legislative Issues for South Carolina Members

Weighted n= 1067

34%

35%

37%

38%

39%

44%

46%

48%

50%

55%

68%

69%

21%

23%

27%

27%

24%

31%

30%

25%

20%

22%

15%

30%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Expanding Medicaid

Assistance for grandparentscaring for grandchildren

Regulating mortgage lenders toprevent abuse

Utility services

Assistance programs for low-income older residents

Consumer protection againstfraud

Availability, cost, quality oflong- term care services

Consumer protection for healthinsurance

Older persons remaining intheir own homes

Preventing elder abuse

Availability, cost, quality ofhealth care

Access to affordableprescription drugs

Top Priority High Priority

The issue of access to affordable prescription drugs and the availability, cost, and quality of health care has similar top priority ratings across the age groups. However, members 75+ are more likely than members 50-59 to rate preventing elder abuse (65% vs. 55%) and how older persons can remain in their own homes or communities as they age (62% vs. 47%) as top legislative priorities. See Appendix A for age differences in the twelve legislative priorities rated in the survey.


Member Experience and Opinions on Home Loans What priority do laws protecting homeowners from unfair lending practices have? Nearly nine in ten (87%) South Carolina members own their own homes. In the last two years, 17 percent of homeowners took out home equity loans. Loans were used for home repairs and improvements, debt consolidation or to pay off some debt other than health or medical expenses. Most (74%) South Carolina members believe AARP in South Carolina should place top or high priority on strengthening laws and regulations that will protect homeowners from unfair and deceptive lending practices. Almost two-thirds (64%) of South Carolina members rate regulating mortgage lender to prevent abuse as a top or high legislative priority for AARP. Member Experience and Opinions on Grandparenting How many South Carolina members have grandchildren? More than seven in ten (73%) South Carolina members have grandchildren, including great grandchildren or step-grandchildren. Of these, 14 percent provide care for their grandchildren on a regular basis. This is approximately 45,766 AARP members in South Carolina.

Grandparents Who Provide Care for Grandchildren on a Regular Basis n=774 Grandparents

No Response,

3%Yes, 14%

No, 82%


Several questions were asked of grandparents who were caring for their grandchildren. Because the sample size is small (n=112) these findings should be interpreted cautiously. Members who provided care for their grandchildren on a regular basis were asked if they were employed when they began caring for their grandchildren. Over six in ten were employed. Among the 70 who were working, less than one in ten (8%) found it necessary to quit working to take care of their grandchildren. Twelve percent of all South Carolina grandparents caring for their grandchildren had to return to work either on a part-time or full-time basis to help pay for the expense of caring for their grandchildren.

Seventeen percent of South Carolina grandparents caring for grandchildren on a regular basis said that they are the legal guardian. Among the 89 grandparents who were not the legal guardians, about two in ten (19%) have considered becoming the legal guardian of their grandchildren.

How important is it for grandparents raising grandchildren to have access to affordable child care services?

Over three-quarters of South Carolina members think that it is very important or somewhat important for grandparents providing care for their grandchildren to have access to affordable child care services that would allow them time to do chores such as house cleaning and grocery shopping. Grandparents caring for grandchildren are more likely to think it is very important (65%) compared to other grandparents (52%). About a quarter of each group think that is somewhat important.

Level of Importance for Grandparents Caring for Grandchildren on a Regular Basis to Have Affordable Child Care Services

Weighted n= 1067

Slightly Important, 6%

Not Very Important, 5%

Very Important, 53%

Not Sure/No Response, 13%

Somewhat important, 23%

Would grandparents like to participate in events organized for them?

Forty percent of grandparents would like to participate in events that are specifically organized for grandchildren and their grandparents. Forty-five percent say they would not.


What information about grandparenting do members want? More than a third of South Carolina members wish they had more information on fun things to do with grandchildren of all ages. More than a quarter also wish they had more information on legal rights of grandparents, how to speak to grandchildren about issues in their lives, financial gifts for grandchildren, and keeping in touch long-distance.

Information about Grandparenting That Members Want

Weighted n=1067

16%

21%

7%

9%

14%

20%

22%

26%

27%

28%

28%

36%

3%

1%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

No Response

None of the above

Other

Grandparenting in multicultural family

Step-grandparenting

Children's developmental stages

Resources for grandparents raising grandchildren

Speaking to grandchildren's parents

Importance of grandparents to child's well-being

Keeping in touch long distance

Financial gifts for grandchildren

Speaking to grandchildren about issues

Grandparents' legal rights

Fun things to do with grandchildren

Grandparents caring for grandchildren are more likely than grandparents not caring for grandchildren to want information on fun things to do with their grandchildren, legal rights for grandparents, how to speak to grandchildren about issues, resources for grandparents raising grandchildren, and children’s developmental stages. Grandparents who are not caring for grandchildren are more likely to want information on keeping in touch long-distance.


How do South Carolina members prefer to get information on grandparenting? Almost two in five (38%) South Carolina members say they would prefer getting information about grandparenting through newsletters or brochures sent in the mail or magazines or newspaper articles. Almost one in five (19%) say they want their information via web pages or websites, and another 17 percent say email and books are their preferred method of getting information. About one-fourth (23%) did not want information on grandparenting. Grandparents caring for grandchildren regularly are more likely to prefer newsletters or brochures and books than other grandparents. Grandparents not caring for grandchildren are much more likely to say they do not want information.

Ways in Which Members Prefer to Get Grandparenting Information Weighted n = 1067

14%

7%

23%

6%

11%

17%

17%

19%

38%

38%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

No Response

Not sure

Don't want information

Videos or DVD's

Workshops or Seminars

Books

Emails

Web pages or web sites

Magazines or newspaperarticles

Newsletters or brochures


Demographic Characteristics Weighted n= 1067

1%

10%

88%

1%

12%

17%

65%

31%

32%

28%

6%

37%

50%

35%

34%

19%

48%

47%

20%

42%

30%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Other

Black

White

Race______________

Hispanic___________

Other

Widowed

Married

Marital status_______

College grad+

Some college

High school or less

Education__________

Other

Employed

Retired

Employment________

50K+

$20K-$50K

<$20K

Income____________

Male

Female

Gender____________

75+

60-74

50-59

Age_______________


Conclusions Overall, South Carolina members' concerns and legislative priorities are consistent with AARP's strategic priorities. Members express the most concern about making sure that their pension benefits and retirement savings are safe and secure and having access to affordable prescription drugs. Members of all ages rate access to affordable prescription drugs as their top legislative priority. Most South Carolina members have grandchildren, including great grandchildren or step-grandchildren. Roughly 45,766 AARP members provide care for their grandchildren on a regular basis. Members think it is important for grandparents providing care for their grandchildren to have access to affordable child care services that would allow them time to do chores such as house cleaning and grocery shopping. Among members who want information, the most popular topics are fun things to do with grandchildren of all ages, how to speak to grandchildren about issues in their lives, legal rights of grandparents, financial gifts for grandchildren and keeping in touch long distance. Members in South Carolina prefer to get this information through newsletters, brochures, magazines or newspaper articles. There are some differences between South Carolina grandparents caring for grandchildren and those grandparents who do not provide regular care. Most respondents in both groups think it is very important or somewhat important for grandparents providing care for their grandchildren to have access to affordable child care services that would allow them time to do chores such as house cleaning and grocery shopping, but grandparents with regular caregiving responsibilities are a little more likely to say it is very important. Grandparents caring for grandchildren are more likely than grandparents not caring for grandchildren to want information on fun things to do with their grandchildren, legal rights for grandparents, how to speak to grandchildren about issues, resources for grandparents raising grandchildren, and children’s developmental stages. Grandparents who are not caring for grandchildren are more likely to want information on keeping in touch long-distance Members are most likely to say they would personally use written information on topics of interest to them, use referral services, and participate in activities to improve state laws, policies, regulations, or practices that affect them. Members would prefer to learn about AARP activities in the community through direct mail. The newspaper, television, AARP website, and a toll-free or local number are also effective methods for getting information to South Carolina members.


Methodology AARP conducted the AARP South Carolina Member Opinion Survey from April 17 through May 15, 2003. A random sample of 2,000 AARP members in South Carolina, proportionally stratified by three age groups, 50-59, 60-74, and 75+, was selected from AARP’s membership database. Each sampled member was contacted about the survey in four ways: a pre-notification postcard, the survey itself, a reminder postcard, and a second survey. Fifty-three percent of the sampled South Carolina members returned surveys by May 15, 2003, providing 1,064 useable surveys for analysis. Thus, the survey has a sampling error of plus or minus 3.1 percent.1 Survey responses were weighted to reflect the distribution of the age groups in the member population of South Carolina. Due to rounding of the weights, the final number of cases for the weighted dataset is 1,067. This report summarizes weighted findings from the survey. The report describes substantive differences among age groups (50-59, 60-74, and 75+) on top-rated survey topics. Throughout the report, statistics representing member responses are reported in percentages. In some instances, percentages are small and may not seem to represent a significant proportion of members, yet when projected to the total South Carolina membership the actual number of people may be substantial. As of July 31, 2003, the number of AARP members in South Carolina is 447,808.

1 This means that in 95 out of 100 samples of this size, the results obtained in the sample would fall in a range of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points of what would have been obtained if every AARP member in South Carolina age 50 or older had been surveyed.


References

AARP Grandparents web page. Census 2000 Tables for Grandparent-Headed Households.

http://www.aarp.org/confacts/grandparents/census2000.html

http://www.aarp.org/confacts/grandparents/census2000.html


Appendix A: Core Question Tables


Table 1 Extremely Concerned About Key Issues

By Age

Percent Extremely Concerned

Age Total

(n=1067) 50-59

(n=315)60-74

(n=453) 75+

(n=216) Safe and secure pension benefits/savings 77% 78% 77% 75% Having access to affordable prescription drugs

71 73 69 72

Staying in your own home as you age 66 63 66 72 Staying physically fit/maintaining a healthy diet

64 61 66 66

Having Medicare as a base for retirement health coverage

64 54 67 68

Finding affordable, high quality health insurance

63 72 60 60

Avoiding consumer fraud 61 57 61 66 Having Social Security as base for retirement income

61 61 58 65

Having high quality long-term care 60 59 59 60 Preventing elder abuse 59 55 58 70 Protecting your right to privacy 59 57 60 61 Becoming ill or disabled 59 55 57 67 Having consumer protections in health care plans, including managed care

55 52 56 53

Keeping your family safe from acts of terrorism and violence

51 47 51 59

Continuing to drive safely 48 37 48 62 Being a victim of crime 36 33 35 41 Having adequate information on Medicaid 32 34 30 29 Dealing with the loss of a family member 30 31 28 32 Providing care or financial support 27 36 23 23 Finding work in retirement 14 19 12 10


Table 2 Would Personally Use Opportunity If It Were Offered in South Carolina

By Age

Percent Would Personally Use the Opportunity

Age Total

(n=1067) 50-59

(n=315) 60-74

(n=453) 75+

(n=216) Receive written information 63% 66% 66% 56% Use referral services 55 63 54 54 Participate in activities to improve state laws, policies, regulations, or practices

47 50 47 44

Access the AARP website 42 60 40 26 Attend one-time educational events

40 46 39 32

Attend a workshop series or several meetings/classes of interest

37 49 35 23

Attend AARP Chapter meetings 29 35 28 26 Volunteer your time with an organization in your community

29 34 27 24

Volunteer your time to an AARP activity

19 26 15 15

No answer 12 7 10 18


Table 3 How South Carolina Members Want To Find Out About AARP Activities

By Age

Percent Who Want to Find Out by Each Method

Age Total

(n=1067) 50-59

(n=315) 60-74

(n=453) 75+

(n=216) Receive information by mail, such as letter, brochure, flyer

70% 77% 70% 69%

Read about local AARP activities in newspapers in your community

48 45 50 51

Tune in to a local TV channel or program

37 34 37 45

Access AARP website 36 55 35 12 Call a toll-free or local telephone number for a pre-recorded list of AARP activities

35 39 35 33

Receive an email notification 25 36 25 10 Hear about them on a local radio station/program

23 27 23 23

Attend a meeting where AARP activities are described

21 22 22 21

Contact an AARP volunteer or AARP Chapter member

18 21 17 20

Visit an AARP kiosk, booth, or office in your community

15 17 16 12

No answer 8 2 5 12


Table 4 Top Legislative Priority Ratings for AARP in South Carolina

By Age Percent Top Priority

Age Total

(n=1067) 50-59

(n=315) 60-74

(n=453) 75+

(n=216) Access to affordable prescription drugs

69% 75% 70% 75%

Availability, cost, and quality of health care

68 71 72 68

Preventing elder abuse 55 55 58 65 Remaining in own homes or communities as age

50 47 51 62

Consumer protection for health insurance, including managed care

48 54 51 44

Availability, cost, and quality of long-term care services

46 50 47 52

Consumer protection against fraud 44 40 46 56 Assistance for older low-income residents

39 41 39 41

Utility services and rates 38 38 40 41 Regulating mortgage lenders 37 41 39 40 Assistance for grandparents caring for grandchildren

35 43 38 30

Expanding Medicaid 34 40 35 33


Appendix B: Segments at a Glance


Segments at a Glance Members Age 50-59*

(weighted base: 315) Top Six Personal 78% Secure pension benefits/retirement savings

Concerns 73% Affordable prescription drugs 72% Affordable, quality health insurance 63% Staying in your own home as you age 61% Staying physically fit/maintaining healthy diet 61% Social Security as a base for retirement

Top Five State 75% Affordable prescription drugs Legislative Priorities 71% Availability, cost, and quality of health care

55% Preventing elder abuse 54% Consumer protections for health care 50% Availability, cost, and quality of long-term care Top Five AARP-Provided 66% Receive written information

Opportunities 63% Use referral services 60% Access the AARP website 50% Participate in activities to improve state laws 49% Attend workshop series

Top Five Methods for 77% Mail Learning about AARP 55% Access AARP website

Activities 45% Read about in local newspaper 39% Call a toll-free or local telephone number 36% Receive an email notification * There are approximately 143,299 individual members in South Carolina who are age 50-59.


Segments at a Glance Members Age 60-74*

(weighted base: 453) Top Five Personal 77% Secure pension benefits/retirement savings

Concerns 69% Affordable prescription drugs 67% Having Medicare as a base for retirement 66% Staying physically fit/maintaining healthy diet 66% Staying in own your home as you age

Top Five State 72% Availability, cost, and quality of health care Legislative Priorities 70% Affordable prescription drugs

58% Preventing elder abuse 51% Remaining in own homes/communities as age 51% Consumer protections for health care Top Five AARP-Provided 66% Receive written information

Opportunities 54% Use referral services 47% Participate in activities to improve state laws 40% AARP website 39% Attend one-time educational event

Top Five Methods for 70% Mail Learning about AARP 50% Read about in local newspaper

Activities 37% Tune in to local TV channel or program 35% Call a toll-free or local telephone number

35% Access AARP website

There are 205,992 individual members in South Carolina who are age 60-74.


Segments at a Glance Members Age 75+*

(weighted base: 216) Top Five Personal 75% Secure pension benefits/retirement savings

Concerns 72% Affordable prescription drugs 72% Staying in own your own home as you age 70% Preventing elder abuse 68% Having Medicare as a base for retirement

Top Five State 75% Affordable prescription drugs Legislative Priorities 68% Availability, cost, and quality of health care

62% Remaining in own homes/communities as age 65% Preventing elder abuse 56% Consumer protection against fraud Top Six AARP-Provided 56% Receive written information

Opportunities 54% Use referral services 44% Participate in activities to improve state laws 32% Attend one-time educational event 26% Access AARP website 26% Attend AARP chapter meeting

Top Five Methods for 69% Mail Learning about AARP 51% Read about in local newspaper

Activities 45% Tune in to local TV channel or program 33% Call a toll-free or local telephone number 23% Hear on a local radio station/program * There are 98,518 individual members in South Carolina who are age 75+.


Appendix C: Annotated Questionnaire



WEIGHTED N = 1,067, RESPONSE RATE = 53%, SAMPLING ERROR = +/-

3.1% (Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding or multiple responses. A “*” means less than 1 %.)

Personal Concerns 1. Below is a list of concerns that have been expressed by people age 50 and older. Please

rate your own level of concern about each item using a 5-point scale where 1 means you are "not at all concerned" and 5 means you are "extremely concerned."

ExtremelyConcerned

Not at all No Concerned Response

a. Having adequate information on Medicaid, the government health insurance program for low income people

32% 18% 23% 14% 12% 2%

b. Providing care or financial support for a parent, grandchild or other relative

27% 21% 22% 13% 15% 2%

c. Having Medicare as a base for retirement health coverage

64% 19% 10% 3% 2% 2%

d. Avoiding consumer fraud 61% 19% 12% 4% 2% 2%

e. Having Social Security as a base for retirement income

61% 19% 13% 4% 2% 2%

f. Finding affordable, high quality health insurance

63% 15% 9% 6% 5% 2%

g. Staying in your own home as you get older 66% 18% 9% 3% 3% 1%

h. Staying physically fit/maintaining a healthy diet

64% 23% 9% 2% 1% 1%

i. Having high quality long-term care for you or a family member

60% 20% 14% 3% 3% 1%

j. Making sure your pension benefits and/or retirement savings are safe and secure

77% 13% 5% 2% 2% 1%

k. Finding work in retirement 14% 19% 25% 16% 24% 2%

l. Dealing with the loss of a close family member 30% 21% 26% 10% 10% 2%

m. Having access to affordable prescription drugs 71% 15% 7% 3% 3% 1%


1. (CONTINUED) Below is a list of concerns that have been expressed by people age 50

and older. Please rate your own level of concern about each item using a 5-point scale where 1 means you are "not at all concerned" and 5 means you are "extremely concerned."

ExtremelyConcerned

Not at all No Concerned Response

n. Having consumer protections in health care plans including managed care

55% 25% 13% 3% 2% 2%

o. Becoming ill or disabled 59% 20% 16% 3% 2% 1%

p. Being a victim of crime 36% 21% 24% 12% 6% 1%

q. Continuing to drive safely 48% 24% 17% 5% 5% 1%

r. Keeping your family safe from acts of terrorism and violence

51% 18% 18% 6% 4% 3%

s. Protecting your right to privacy 59% 20% 12% 4% 2% 3%

t. Preventing elder abuse 59% 17% 13% 4% 4% 3%

AARP Roles and Activities at the State Level

2. Listed below are some opportunities AARP could provide within South Carolina to address member interests and concerns. Would you personally use the opportunity if it were offered in South Carolina? (Check ALL that apply)

% 37 Workshop series or several meetings/classes on topics of interest or concern to you 40 One-time educational events on topics of interest or concern to you 63 Written information on topics of interest or concern to you 55 Referral services to help you find resources and services in your community 47 Activities to improve state laws, policies, regulations, or practices that affect you 42 AARP website for information on topics of interest or concern to you and

information about upcoming AARP events in South Carolina 19 Volunteering your time to an AARP activity in your own community 29 Volunteering your time with a worthy organization in your community 29 AARP Chapter meetings in your community that give your an opportunity to meet

other people and provide some community service 12 No Response


3. If AARP has or were to have programs, services, or activities in your community, how would you want to find out about them? (Check ALL that apply)

% 15 Visit an AARP kiosk, booth, or office located in your community 35 Call a toll-free or local telephone number for a pre-recorded list of current AARP

activities, programs, and services in your community 18 Contact an AARP volunteer or AARP Chapter member in or near your

community 21 Attend a meeting at which AARP programs and activities are described 70 Receive information by mail (e.g., letter, brochure, flyer) 36 Use the AARP website to access AARP information 25 Receive an email notification 48 Read about local AARP activities in newspapers in your community 37 Tune in to a local TV channel or program 23 Hear about them on a local radio station/program 8 No Response Home Financing

4. Do you own your own home?

% 87 Yes 8 No [SKIP TO QUESTION 7] * Not sure [SKIP TO QUESTION 7] 5 No Response

5. In the LAST 2 years, have you taken out a home equity loan? (n=929)

% 17 Yes 79 No * Not sure 4 No Response

6. What was your main reason for taking out a home equity loan? (Check ALL that apply) (n=160)

% 47 Home repair/improvements 32 Debt consolidation 9 Extra cash 4 Pay off health or medical expenses 30 Pay off some other debt 4 Not sure 4 No Response


7. How much of a priority should AARP in South Carolina place on strengthening laws and regulations that will protect home-owners from unfair and deceptive lending practices?

% 40 Top Priority 34 High Priority 11 Medium Priority 2 Low Priority 2 Not A Priority 4 Not sure 7 No Response

Grandparenting

8. Do you have any grandchildren, including great grandchildren or step-grandchildren?

% 73 Yes, I do 24 No [SKIP TO QUESTION 15] 4 No Response

9. Do you provide care on a regular basis for any of your grandchildren? (n=774)

% 14 Yes 82 No [SKIP TO QUESTION 14] 3 No Response

10. Were you employed when you began caring for your grandchildren? (n=112)

% 62

33 Yes No

10a. Did you find it necessary to quit working to take care of your grandchildren? (n=70)

4 No Response % 8 Yes 76 No 16 No Response

11. Have you had to return to work either on a part-time or full-time basis to help pay for the expenses of caring for any of your grandchildren? (n=112)

% 12 Yes 78 No 1 Not sure 9 No Response


12. Are you the legal guardian for any of your grandchildren? (n=112)

% 17 Yes [SKIP TO QUESTION 14] 79 No 1 Not sure 4 No Response

13. Have you considered becoming the legal guardian for any of your grandchildren? (n=89)

% 19 Yes 76 No 2 Not sure 3 No Response

14. Would you like to participate in events with your grandchild (ren) that are organized specifically for grandchildren and their grandparents? (n=774)

% 40 Yes 45 No 15 No Response

15. Currently, there is no state law in South Carolina that allows grandparents without legal custody of their grandchildren to enroll them in school even if the children’s parents cannot be found. That means that grandparents who are caring for their grandchildren but who do not have legal custody cannot enroll them in school. How strongly do you support or oppose a law in South Carolina that would allow grandparent caregivers without legal custody of their grandchildren to enroll them in school?

% 60 Strongly support 19 Somewhat support 2 Somewhat oppose 3 Strongly oppose 10 Not sure 7 No Response


16. How important do you think it is for grandparents providing care for their grandchildren to have access to affordable child care services that would allow them time to do chores such as housecleaning and grocery shopping?

% 53 Very important 23 Somewhat important 6 Slightly important 5 Not very important 6 Not sure 7 No Response

17. On the list below, please check each item that you wish you had more information about in regard to being a grandparent.

% 22 The importance of grandparents to a child’s well-being 20 How to speak to your grandchildren’s parents about issues concerning your

grandchildren 36 Fun things to do with grandchildren of all ages 14 Resources for grandparents raising grandchildren 7 Step-grandparenting 3 Grandparenting in a multicultural family 26 Keeping in touch long distance 27 Financial gifts for grandchildren 28 Legal rights of grandparents 9 Children’s developmental stages 28 How to speak to your grandchildren about issues in their lives 1 Other

21 None of the above 16 No response


18. On the list below, check the three ways you would most prefer for getting

information about grandparenting. (Check your top THREE choices)

% 17 E-mails 19 Web-pages or web sites 11 In person workshops or seminars in your hometown 17 Books 38 Magazine or newspaper articles 38 Newsletters or brochures sent in the mail 6 Videos or DVDs 7 Not sure 23 Don’t want information about grandparenting 14 No Reponse

State Legislative Issues

19. To be effective, AARP South Carolina wants to work on the most important issues facing South Carolina AARP members. Keeping in mind what's most important to you, how much of a priority should it be for AARP to work on the following legislative issues in South Carolina?

Top

Priority High

Priority Medium Priority

Low Priority

Not A Priority

Not Sure

No Response

a. Availability, cost, and quality of health care

68% 22% 4% * 1% * 6%

b. Consumer protection against fraud

44% 31% 14% 4% 2% 1% 6%

c. Utility services and rates

38% 27% 19% 5% 2% 1% 8%

d. How older persons can remain in their own homes or communities as they age

50% 25% 14% 3% 1% 1% 6%

e. Consumer protection standards for health insurance including managed care plans

48% 30% 11% 2% 1% 1% 8%


20. (CONTINUED) To be effective, AARP South Carolina wants to work on the most important issues facing South Carolina AARP members. Keeping in mind what's most important to you, how much of a priority should it be for AARP to work on the following legislative issues in South Carolina?

Top

Priority High

Priority Medium Priority

Low Priority

Not A Priority

Not Sure

No Response

f. Availability, cost, and quality of long-term care services

46% 30% 12% 3% 1% 1% 7%

g. Assistance programs for older, low-income state residents

39% 24% 20% 6% 3% 2% 8%

h. Access to affordable prescription drugs

69% 15% 7% 1% 1% *

6%

i. Expanding Medicaid, the government health insurance program for low income people

34% 21% 20% 7% 6% 2% 9%

j. Regulation of mortgage lenders to prevent abusive practices

37% 27% 16% 5% 4% 1%

10%

k. Enabling grandparents who are caring for grandchildren, but who are not their legal guardians, to obtain necessary financial, medical, educational, and legal services for these children.

35% 23% 18% 6% 5% 3%

11%

j. Preventing elder abuse 55% 20% 13% 3% 2% *

7%


About You

The following questions are for classification purposes only and will be kept entirely confidential.

21. Are you male or female?

% 48 Male 47 Female 5 No Response

22. What is your age as of your last birthday? ________ years

% 30 50-59 42 60-74 20 75+ 8 No Response

22. What is your current marital status? % 65 Now married 17 Widowed 9 Divorced 1 Separated 3 Never married 5 No Response

23. What is the highest level of education that you completed? % 6 Less than high school 22 High school graduate or equivalent 32 Some college or technical training beyond high school 16 College graduate (4 years) 15 Post-graduate or professional degree 9 No Response


24. Which of the following best describes your current employment status? % 29 Employed or self-employed full-time 8 Employed or self-employed part-time 50 Retired and not working 4 Other such as homemaker 2 Unemployed and looking for work 7 No Response

25. Do you have access to a personal computer at home, at work, or some other place?

% 61 34 5

Yes No No Response

25a. If YES: Do you have access to the Internet or the ability to use online services such as America Online (AOL)? (n=651)

88% Yes 7% No 2% Don’t Know 4% No Response

26. Are you Hispanic, Spanish, or Latino?

% 1 Yes 90 No 1 Don’t know 9 No Response

27. What is your race? % 88 White or Caucasian 10 Black or African American 1 Asian 1 Native American or Alaskan Native 0 Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 1 No Response


28. What is your 5-digit zip code? WRITE IN YOUR ZIP CODE ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

29. What was your annual household income before taxes in 2002?

% 6 Less than $10,000 13 $10,000 to $19,999 13 $20,000 to $29,999 12 $30,000 to $39,999 10 $40,000 to $49,999 16 $50,000 to $74,999 19 $75,000 or more 12 No Response

Thank you for completing this survey. Please use the postage-paid envelope and return it to State Member Research, AARP, 601 E Street, NW, Washington, DC 20049, by May 15, 2003.

AARP Knowledge Management

For more information please contact Rachelle Cummins (202) 434-6297

2003 aarp south carolina member opinion survey · 2003 aarp south carolina member opinion survey,...

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