Age Friendly Survey 2020

Howard County, as part of its effort to be an Age-Friendly Community, is seeking your input and feedback on what is important to you. The anonymous information you provide will be used to help inform our planning processes as we work with residents, businesses, and government agencies, to build upon the existing successes and make the County even more livable.

In an age-friendly community, policies, services and structures related to the physical and social environment are designed to support and enable older people to “age actively” – that is, to live in security, enjoy good health and continue to participate fully in society (definition provided by the World Health Organization, WHO).

Creating an Age-Friendly Howard County will positively affect people of all ages as the concepts noted by the World Health Organization hold true for everyone. Therefore, adults of all ages are encouraged to take the survey; results will be tallied and prioritized to create a 2021-2025 Action Plan for Howard County. Residents will be an integral part of the implementation of the Action Plan.

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* 1. In what year were you born?

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* 2. In what zip code do you live?

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* 3. What is your gender?

Male

Female

Non-binary/third gender

Prefer to self describe:

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* 4. What is your race and ethnicity? (check all that apply):

White or Caucasian

Black or African American

Asian or Asian American

Hispanic or Latino or Spanish Origin

Other (please specify)

HOUSING RELATED QUESTIONS

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* 5. With whom do you live?

Live with spouse/partner

Live with spouse/partner and relatives/children/friends/others

Live with relatives (including children) but not a spouse

Live with non-related others (including friends)

Live alone

Other (please specify)

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* 6. In what type of housing do you currently reside?

Apartment/condo

Townhouse

Single family home

Assisted living

Nursing or medical facility

Continuing care retirement community (CCRC)

55+ community

In-law suite (i.e., accessory apartment)

Shared housing arrangements (with unrelated others)

Other (please specify)

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* 7. When thinking about living environments for when you are older, please indicate your level of preference for each of the different types of environments:

	Strongly prefer	Somewhat prefer	Somewhat opposed	Strongly opposed
Apartment/condo	Apartment/condo Strongly prefer	Apartment/condo Somewhat prefer	Apartment/condo Somewhat opposed	Apartment/condo Strongly opposed
Townhouse	Townhouse Strongly prefer	Townhouse Somewhat prefer	Townhouse Somewhat opposed	Townhouse Strongly opposed
Single family home	Single family home Strongly prefer	Single family home Somewhat prefer	Single family home Somewhat opposed	Single family home Strongly opposed
Assisted living	Assisted living Strongly prefer	Assisted living Somewhat prefer	Assisted living Somewhat opposed	Assisted living Strongly opposed
Nursing or medical facility	Nursing or medical facility Strongly prefer	Nursing or medical facility Somewhat prefer	Nursing or medical facility Somewhat opposed	Nursing or medical facility Strongly opposed
Continuing care retirement community CCRC	Continuing care retirement community CCRC Strongly prefer	Continuing care retirement community CCRC Somewhat prefer	Continuing care retirement community CCRC Somewhat opposed	Continuing care retirement community CCRC Strongly opposed
55+ community	55+ community Strongly prefer	55+ community Somewhat prefer	55+ community Somewhat opposed	55+ community Strongly opposed
In-law suite (i.e., accessory apartment)	In-law suite (i.e., accessory apartment) Strongly prefer	In-law suite (i.e., accessory apartment) Somewhat prefer	In-law suite (i.e., accessory apartment) Somewhat opposed	In-law suite (i.e., accessory apartment) Strongly opposed
Shared housing arrangements (with unrelated others)	Shared housing arrangements (with unrelated others) Strongly prefer	Shared housing arrangements (with unrelated others) Somewhat prefer	Shared housing arrangements (with unrelated others) Somewhat opposed	Shared housing arrangements (with unrelated others) Strongly opposed

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* 8. For each of the items below indicate the likelihood of it occurring in the next 10 years:

	Extremely likely	Very likely	Somewhat likely	Not very likely	Not at all likely	Unsure
I will move out of the State	I will move out of the State Extremely likely	I will move out of the State Very likely	I will move out of the State Somewhat likely	I will move out of the State Not very likely	I will move out of the State Not at all likely	I will move out of the State Unsure
I will move to another county in Maryland	I will move to another county in Maryland Extremely likely	I will move to another county in Maryland Very likely	I will move to another county in Maryland Somewhat likely	I will move to another county in Maryland Not very likely	I will move to another county in Maryland Not at all likely	I will move to another county in Maryland Unsure
I will move within Howard County	I will move within Howard County Extremely likely	I will move within Howard County Very likely	I will move within Howard County Somewhat likely	I will move within Howard County Not very likely	I will move within Howard County Not at all likely	I will move within Howard County Unsure
I will need to make modifications to my current home in order to continue to live here	I will need to make modifications to my current home in order to continue to live here Extremely likely	I will need to make modifications to my current home in order to continue to live here Very likely	I will need to make modifications to my current home in order to continue to live here Somewhat likely	I will need to make modifications to my current home in order to continue to live here Not very likely	I will need to make modifications to my current home in order to continue to live here Not at all likely	I will need to make modifications to my current home in order to continue to live here Unsure

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* 9. Please rate the likelihood that the following factors could lead you to move in your retirement years:

	Extremely likely	Very likely	Somewhat likely	Not very likely	Not at all likely
Level of taxation	Level of taxation Extremely likely	Level of taxation Very likely	Level of taxation Somewhat likely	Level of taxation Not very likely	Level of taxation Not at all likely
Cost of living in the County	Cost of living in the County Extremely likely	Cost of living in the County Very likely	Cost of living in the County Somewhat likely	Cost of living in the County Not very likely	Cost of living in the County Not at all likely
Cost of housing in the County	Cost of housing in the County Extremely likely	Cost of housing in the County Very likely	Cost of housing in the County Somewhat likely	Cost of housing in the County Not very likely	Cost of housing in the County Not at all likely
Desire for better weather	Desire for better weather Extremely likely	Desire for better weather Very likely	Desire for better weather Somewhat likely	Desire for better weather Not very likely	Desire for better weather Not at all likely
To be closer to family/friends	To be closer to family/friends Extremely likely	To be closer to family/friends Very likely	To be closer to family/friends Somewhat likely	To be closer to family/friends Not very likely	To be closer to family/friends Not at all likely
To be closer to stores or other places you want to get to	To be closer to stores or other places you want to get to Extremely likely	To be closer to stores or other places you want to get to Very likely	To be closer to stores or other places you want to get to Somewhat likely	To be closer to stores or other places you want to get to Not very likely	To be closer to stores or other places you want to get to Not at all likely
To have access to better healthcare facilities	To have access to better healthcare facilities Extremely likely	To have access to better healthcare facilities Very likely	To have access to better healthcare facilities Somewhat likely	To have access to better healthcare facilities Not very likely	To have access to better healthcare facilities Not at all likely
Safety concerns in neighborhood	Safety concerns in neighborhood Extremely likely	Safety concerns in neighborhood Very likely	Safety concerns in neighborhood Somewhat likely	Safety concerns in neighborhood Not very likely	Safety concerns in neighborhood Not at all likely
To live in a home that better matches my needs/capabilities	To live in a home that better matches my needs/capabilities Extremely likely	To live in a home that better matches my needs/capabilities Very likely	To live in a home that better matches my needs/capabilities Somewhat likely	To live in a home that better matches my needs/capabilities Not very likely	To live in a home that better matches my needs/capabilities Not at all likely
To have more walkability	To have more walkability Extremely likely	To have more walkability Very likely	To have more walkability Somewhat likely	To have more walkability Not very likely	To have more walkability Not at all likely
To have access to more/better cultural/social opportunities	To have access to more/better cultural/social opportunities Extremely likely	To have access to more/better cultural/social opportunities Very likely	To have access to more/better cultural/social opportunities Somewhat likely	To have access to more/better cultural/social opportunities Not very likely	To have access to more/better cultural/social opportunities Not at all likely

TRANSPORTATION RELATED QUESTIONS

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* 10. How important is it to you for Howard County to have available:

	Extremely important	Very important	Somewhat important	Not very important	Not at all important
Fixed-route public transportation	Fixed-route public transportation Extremely important	Fixed-route public transportation Very important	Fixed-route public transportation Somewhat important	Fixed-route public transportation Not very important	Fixed-route public transportation Not at all important
Private on-demand services (Uber, Lyft, taxi)	Private on-demand services (Uber, Lyft, taxi) Extremely important	Private on-demand services (Uber, Lyft, taxi) Very important	Private on-demand services (Uber, Lyft, taxi) Somewhat important	Private on-demand services (Uber, Lyft, taxi) Not very important	Private on-demand services (Uber, Lyft, taxi) Not at all important
Volunteer transportation (e.g., Neighbor Ride)	Volunteer transportation (e.g., Neighbor Ride) Extremely important	Volunteer transportation (e.g., Neighbor Ride) Very important	Volunteer transportation (e.g., Neighbor Ride) Somewhat important	Volunteer transportation (e.g., Neighbor Ride) Not very important	Volunteer transportation (e.g., Neighbor Ride) Not at all important
More easily readable street signs	More easily readable street signs Extremely important	More easily readable street signs Very important	More easily readable street signs Somewhat important	More easily readable street signs Not very important	More easily readable street signs Not at all important
Biking/walking paths near you	Biking/walking paths near you Extremely important	Biking/walking paths near you Very important	Biking/walking paths near you Somewhat important	Biking/walking paths near you Not very important	Biking/walking paths near you Not at all important
Specialized transportation for people with disabilities	Specialized transportation for people with disabilities Extremely important	Specialized transportation for people with disabilities Very important	Specialized transportation for people with disabilities Somewhat important	Specialized transportation for people with disabilities Not very important	Specialized transportation for people with disabilities Not at all important
Extended time at crosswalks to allow you to cross the street	Extended time at crosswalks to allow you to cross the street Extremely important	Extended time at crosswalks to allow you to cross the street Very important	Extended time at crosswalks to allow you to cross the street Somewhat important	Extended time at crosswalks to allow you to cross the street Not very important	Extended time at crosswalks to allow you to cross the street Not at all important

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* 11. Which of the following represents a barrier to transportation/personal mobility for you? (check all that apply):

Do not own a car

Do not have family/friends who are willing/able to give me rides as often as needed

Unable to drive due to medical/health concerns

Restrict driving due to weather conditions, daylight hours, etc.

Public transportation not convenient/available in my area

Difficulty walking and/or climbing stairs

Fear of falling

No, or poorly maintained, sidewalks in neighborhood

No barriers (none of the above)

Other (please specify)

COMMUNICATION / INFORMATION RELATED QUESTIONS

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* 12. How often do you use the Internet?

Daily

Couple times per week

Weekly

Rarely

Never or Do not have access to the Internet

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* 13. If you needed to find out information related to aging (either for yourself or a family member), please indicate the likelihood of using each of the following sources of information:

	Extremely likely	Very likely	Somewhat likely	Not very likely	Not at all likely
Print media (e.g., newspapers)	Print media (e.g., newspapers) Extremely likely	Print media (e.g., newspapers) Very likely	Print media (e.g., newspapers) Somewhat likely	Print media (e.g., newspapers) Not very likely	Print media (e.g., newspapers) Not at all likely
TV/Radio	TV/Radio Extremely likely	TV/Radio Very likely	TV/Radio Somewhat likely	TV/Radio Not very likely	TV/Radio Not at all likely
Internet	Internet Extremely likely	Internet Very likely	Internet Somewhat likely	Internet Not very likely	Internet Not at all likely
Social media (e.g., Facebook)	Social media (e.g., Facebook) Extremely likely	Social media (e.g., Facebook) Very likely	Social media (e.g., Facebook) Somewhat likely	Social media (e.g., Facebook) Not very likely	Social media (e.g., Facebook) Not at all likely
Email Listservs	Email Listservs Extremely likely	Email Listservs Very likely	Email Listservs Somewhat likely	Email Listservs Not very likely	Email Listservs Not at all likely
Library	Library Extremely likely	Library Very likely	Library Somewhat likely	Library Not very likely	Library Not at all likely
Healthcare providers	Healthcare providers Extremely likely	Healthcare providers Very likely	Healthcare providers Somewhat likely	Healthcare providers Not very likely	Healthcare providers Not at all likely
50+ Centers	50+ Centers Extremely likely	50+ Centers Very likely	50+ Centers Somewhat likely	50+ Centers Not very likely	50+ Centers Not at all likely
Office on Aging & Independence publications	Office on Aging & Independence publications Extremely likely	Office on Aging & Independence publications Very likely	Office on Aging & Independence publications Somewhat likely	Office on Aging & Independence publications Not very likely	Office on Aging & Independence publications Not at all likely
Maryland Access Point of Howard County	Maryland Access Point of Howard County Extremely likely	Maryland Access Point of Howard County Very likely	Maryland Access Point of Howard County Somewhat likely	Maryland Access Point of Howard County Not very likely	Maryland Access Point of Howard County Not at all likely
Faith community	Faith community Extremely likely	Faith community Very likely	Faith community Somewhat likely	Faith community Not very likely	Faith community Not at all likely
Word-of-mouth	Word-of-mouth Extremely likely	Word-of-mouth Very likely	Word-of-mouth Somewhat likely	Word-of-mouth Not very likely	Word-of-mouth Not at all likely
Family/friends	Family/friends Extremely likely	Family/friends Very likely	Family/friends Somewhat likely	Family/friends Not very likely	Family/friends Not at all likely

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* 14. How important is it to you for Howard County to have available information on:

	Extremely important	Very important	Somewhat important	Not very important	Not at all important
Avoiding financial exploitation/scams	Avoiding financial exploitation/scams Extremely important	Avoiding financial exploitation/scams Very important	Avoiding financial exploitation/scams Somewhat important	Avoiding financial exploitation/scams Not very important	Avoiding financial exploitation/scams Not at all important
Retirement / financial planning	Retirement / financial planning Extremely important	Retirement / financial planning Very important	Retirement / financial planning Somewhat important	Retirement / financial planning Not very important	Retirement / financial planning Not at all important
Health insurance options	Health insurance options Extremely important	Health insurance options Very important	Health insurance options Somewhat important	Health insurance options Not very important	Health insurance options Not at all important
Transitioning from work to retirement	Transitioning from work to retirement Extremely important	Transitioning from work to retirement Very important	Transitioning from work to retirement Somewhat important	Transitioning from work to retirement Not very important	Transitioning from work to retirement Not at all important
Home modifications	Home modifications Extremely important	Home modifications Very important	Home modifications Somewhat important	Home modifications Not very important	Home modifications Not at all important
Home maintenance	Home maintenance Extremely important	Home maintenance Very important	Home maintenance Somewhat important	Home maintenance Not very important	Home maintenance Not at all important
Pro’s & con’s of refinancing/reverse mortgages	Pro’s & con’s of refinancing/reverse mortgages Extremely important	Pro’s & con’s of refinancing/reverse mortgages Very important	Pro’s & con’s of refinancing/reverse mortgages Somewhat important	Pro’s & con’s of refinancing/reverse mortgages Not very important	Pro’s & con’s of refinancing/reverse mortgages Not at all important
Various housing options	Various housing options Extremely important	Various housing options Very important	Various housing options Somewhat important	Various housing options Not very important	Various housing options Not at all important

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* 15. Planning for the future is an important process. In which of the following have you engaged?

	Yes; completed	In process	No, not yet completed	Feel no need to do so
Financial planning for retirement	Financial planning for retirement Yes; completed	Financial planning for retirement In process	Financial planning for retirement No, not yet completed	Financial planning for retirement Feel no need to do so
Planning for activities I want to engage in during my retirement years	Planning for activities I want to engage in during my retirement years Yes; completed	Planning for activities I want to engage in during my retirement years In process	Planning for activities I want to engage in during my retirement years No, not yet completed	Planning for activities I want to engage in during my retirement years Feel no need to do so
Medical/health planning (advance directives, living will, power of attorney)	Medical/health planning (advance directives, living will, power of attorney) Yes; completed	Medical/health planning (advance directives, living will, power of attorney) In process	Medical/health planning (advance directives, living will, power of attorney) No, not yet completed	Medical/health planning (advance directives, living will, power of attorney) Feel no need to do so

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* 16. Which of the following represents a barrier to you for planning? (check all that apply)

Don’t know where to go to get information

Do not feel the need to plan for these outcomes at the current time

Assume that family/others will take care of these issues for me

Do not have the financial resources to plan

Do not have individuals that I would trust to be decision maker for me

Feel it is pointless (i.e., there is nothing I can do about them)

No barriers to planning

Other (please specify)

EMPLOYMENT RELATED QUESTIONS

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* 17. What is your current paid employment status?

Working full time (35+ hours a week)

Working part-time (less than 35 hours a week, including consulting)

Not working, but seeking work

Not working, and not seeking work (i.e., retired)

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25% of survey complete.