Area Agency on Aging District 7’s Director Pamela K. Matura submits this Survey Findings by AARP

AARP's Key Survey Findings

About the significance of turning 60, about 37 percent of the respondents said reaching that age is more significant than reaching the age of 50. About 30 percent said the two milestones were equal in significance, and 17 percent said reaching the age of 60 was less significant.

Regarding lifespan expectation, one in five percent of respondents born in 1946 said they want to live to be at least one hundred years old, and another 16 percent said they would want to live well into their 90's. Fewer thought they would actually reach those milestones, just 9 percent expected to live past 100 and 13 percent expected to live into their 90's. Further, as the level of formal education rose, so did the age to which 60-year-old boomers expected to live. The average survival age expected by those with a high school education or less was 82.9 years.

Boomers with some college education expected to live to 82.4 and those with college plus additional education expect to live to 87.5. About 22 percent could not say how long they want to live or how long they think they will live.

In terms of senior attitudes and plans in retirement, about 80 percent mentioned spending more time with loved ones, 87 percent plan to take better care of their physical health, and about 72 percent of the respondents said they would want to spend more time on hobbies and personal interests.

Life Area Improvements Sought

About 34 percent of 60-year-olds are most likely like to improve their physical health over the next five years. Compared to their employed counterparts, 60-year-olds not currently working were twice as likely to mention their physical health.

About 41 percent of retired 60-year-olds are more likely to mention physical health as a life area they would like to improve over the next five years. Those employed were more likely those not currently working to want to improve leisure activities over the next five years. Also, about 46 percent of older adult age 60 in households with less than 25K income were especially likely to want to improve their physical health.

Source: AARP