General public has few LTC "geniuses".When tested, the public hardly makes the grade when it comes to understanding LTC's basics. Their achievement shortfall was demonstrated in the "Long-Term Care long-term care (LTC), n the provision of medical, social, and personal care services on a recurring or continuing basis to persons with chronic physical or mental disorders. IQ Test" survey sponsored by the MetLife Mature Market Institute. It asked respondents In the context of marketing research, a representative sample drawn from a larger population of people from whom information is collected and used to develop or confirm marketing strategy. ages 40 to 70 about their understanding of the issues surrounding long-term care and their knowledge about the need for care, how it is delivered, how much it costs, and other related areas. Only about one in three "passed"--and just barely. Specific findings: * Fewer than four in ten understood their likely longevity longevity (lŏnjĕv`ĭtē), term denoting the length or duration of the life of an animal or plant, often used to indicate an unusually long life. rate. * Three out of four underestimated how many people over age 85 need assistance with ADLs. * Just one in five correctly identified that most long-term care takes place in the home. * Nearly half underestimated the cost of care in a nursing home. * Four in ten mistakenly believe that they are entitled en·ti·tle tr.v. en·ti·tled, en·ti·tling, en·ti·tles 1. To give a name or title to. 2. To furnish with a right or claim to something: to basic coverage for long-term care from the government. * More than six in ten did not correctly estimate the cost of waiting to buy long-term care insurance until an older age. This confirmed the overall finding of previous such analyses: When it comes to public understanding, LTC LTC abbr. lieutenant colonel educators have their work cut out for them. Visit www.maturemarketinstitute.com for the complete study. BY DOUGLAS J. EDWARDS, ASSISTANT EDITOR |
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