Michigan's aging fast, but many seniors unaware of services, poll finds

About 2-in-5 older Michiganders don’t know about the programs and services available to them, according to a new poll
The findings confirmed Bridge reporting that many older Michiganders don’t know where to turn for help
Overall, older residents find Michigan a good state in which to age, though responses varied according to age, income, geography and health status

Two of five older Michiganders aren’t familiar with the services that could help them age well, according to a new poll.

The latest installment of the Michigan Poll on Healthy Aging found “positive ratings overall for aging services,” said Scott Roberts, associate director of the poll.

Still, Roberts added, “it was notable that such a high proportion of people were unfamiliar with what (services were) available to them.”

Even the state’s 16 Area Agencies on Aging, a network of organizations that operate as a statewide first stop for all resources aging-related, “kind of fly under the radar for people,” Roberts said.

That tracks with findings in a 2024 poll, also conducted by the National Poll on Healthy Aging, that found that just more than half of older Michiganders had heard about the Area Agencies.

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It also echoes Bridge reporting last year that found vast numbers of seniors are unfamiliar with the services throughout the state.

About 2 in 5 — 39% of respondents — said they weren’t familiar with services for older adults in their area. Even 1 in 4 caregivers were unfamiliar with programs in their area.

That’s worrisome in a state aging faster than most. While its overall population has flatlined over the past decade, the number of residents 65 or older increased by 500,000 — the equivalent of, each year, adding a city the size of East Lansing composed only of seniors.

And the first of the Baby Boomers are turning 80 this year.

Awareness not only will enable people to find the help they need, it will reduce the stigma of reaching out, Roberts said.

There have been efforts to raise the profile of the services, he noted.

Late last year, for example, the state’s Area Agencies on Aging Association launched a one-stop, online resource to help the state’s estimated 1.6 million caregivers connect to resources — respite care, home safety assessments, in-home care, caregiver case management, counseling and assistive technology.

A ‘good’ and ‘excellent’ place to age

On the upside, more than 4 in 5 respondents of the poll — 82% — rated the state as a “good” to “excellent” place to live as they grow older

“We have some positives to build on,” said Phil Lewis, of the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, which funded the study.

“Michigan’s fortunate to have a lot of strong aging partners,” he said, referring to (Area Agencies on Aging), county commissions on aging, and senior centers.”

But satisfaction levels varied by which of four regions of the state they live in, their health status, income, race, and whether they serve as a family caregiver to another adult.

Surveys like the latest installment from the National Poll on Aging, conducted at the University of Michigan, can help policymakers focus discussions about the best way to serve older residents, said Scott Roberts, associate director of the poll. (Courtesy of Scott Roberts)

Those who live in northern Michigan, for example, were more likely to give lower ratings on several measures, including access to high-quality health care, social and recreational activities, transportation and housing.

And Black Michiganders were less likely than white Michiganders 50 and older to rate the state as an excellent, very good or good place to age, at 69% vs. 84%.

(More details can be found at this interactive dashboard.)

The survey also revealed that 45% of respondents rated their cost of living as fair or poor, highlighting financial anxieties.

That’s a call for policymakers to address medical debt, for example, or building out telehealth to improve access to health care.

Like counterparts elsewhere, many older Michiganders are “living on fixed incomes. They may not have a huge nest egg built up,” Roberts said.

“We’ve found that a lot of folks were not really well prepared” for the increased costs of health as they age — “A lot had misconceptions, thinking ‘My Medicare will take care of that,” he said.

Housing and transportation, said Lewis at the endowment fund, are “longstanding issues,” and the study reinforces a call for a “continued focus to make gains for those who are facing barriers,” he said.

Moving forward, the poll also may be used as a baseline. As services change over time, the poll can be repeated every few years to measure whether older Michiganders’ overall satisfaction changes.

The poll, conducted at the University of Michigan, drew its results from 1,293 respondents.

When it came to the state’s biggest challenge for older Michiganders, there was a clear winner: weather.

Just over half (52%) called it fair or poor. Perhaps that’s not surprising. The poll was taken in January.

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