New research has revealed that while Baby Boomers are worried about old age, many are failing to prepare for it.
Healthcare technology provider Birdie recently commissioned independent research to investigate the attitudes and behaviours of people aged 59-77 (so-called ‘Baby Boomers’) who will soon enter their ‘golden years’.
A quarter (26 per cent) of this demographic believe they will never need additional care support –more than any other generation (14 per cent of Gen Z think they will never require additional care support, while 16 per cent of millennials think the same).
Twenty per cent of Boomers said they would not accept additional care in the event of chronic illness, despite over forty per cent of them acknowledging that accessing care will maintain their independence for longer. When considering the type of care they might want, over two-thirds (69 per cent) intend to stay at home, compared with just four-in-ten (42 per cent) thinking about a care home.
These concerns are being exacerbated by one-in-five (17 per cent) of Boomers not doing anything to prepare themselves physically, mentally, or financially for older age. Less than one-in-10 undertake any proactive care support, such as integrating medical and social care before reaching a crisis point, which further highlights a worrying lack of planning to age well in later life.
In spite of this overall reluctance, strong concerns surround the ageing process with half of all respondents saying they are worried about the loss of identity which comes with eroded mental and physical capacities. Almost one-in three (29 per cent) admitted that they are not looking forward to any aspect of ageing.
Max Parmentier, CEO and co-founder of Birdie, said: “For those in the care industry, the findings of this report indicate that the next generation to enter care may be arriving underprepared for how to live a healthy later life. At Birdie, we believe it will take the whole health and social care system working together to help our society age well- while the findings today show us just how far we have to go, we hope it can give us valuable guidance on how to focus our efforts to create a system of person-centred care for the future.”
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Matt Seex, Editor
