CommonHealth ACTION (CHA) has launched its 2011 national online survey to assess how prepared people in the United States are to age. Intended for adults over the age of 18, the survey will collect data on concerns people have about aging, who will provide for their needs in their later years, and the role they anticipate technology will play in their lives as they age.

The online survey is available through September 9, 2011—in English at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/areyoureadytoage2011 and in Spanish at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ElEnvejecimientoEnLosEU2011. The results of the 2011 survey are expected to be released during Older Americans Month in May 2012.

Results from the 2010 survey indicate that most people expect to take care of themselves after age 65, they see the Internet as an important tool to support aging, and most importantly, they expect to “age in place.”

Survey data also indicate significant barriers in all of the aforementioned areas. The comprehensive report detailing the results from the 2010 survey as well as CHA’s recommendations for national action on aging preparedness is available at http://www.commonhealthaction.org/2010AgingReport-CHA.pdf.

While discussing the 2010 and 2011 aging preparedness surveys, Natalie Burke, President of CommonHealth ACTION said, “Having a personal retirement plan and a living will do not make an individual “prepared” to age in the United States. Beyond those independent efforts, comprehensive policies and planning are necessary to support healthy and financially viable seniors. Addressing the key issues is a moral and economic imperative.”

CommonHealth ACTION is a national, non-profit, public health organization in Washington, DC that collaborates with national organizations and community-based partners to create conditions in which all people have equal opportunities to achieve optimal health. For more information, visit http://www.commonhealthaction.org