Survey finds Utah senior citizens feeling good about life

Life is pretty good for Dalmas and JoAnn Nelson. Their 57th wedding anniversary is just around the corner. They've lived 31 years in a house and a neighborhood they love. They have friends and family nearby and remain active with personal projects and church work.

"We're really greatly blessed," said 77-year-old JoAnn Nelson.

The Nelsons' outlook on a post-retirement life is not unlike that of many of Utah's seniors, according to a new poll released Friday. Of the 400 people surveyed, 87 percent reported they were either very or somewhat satisfied with their life. Another 62 percent said they felt optimistic about the next 10 to 15 years.

The numbers are encouraging, said Gina Coccimiglio of the CareSource Charitable Foundation, which commissioned the survey in cooperation with the state Division of Aging and Adult Services.

"I think that says a lot for seniors today, at least in Utah," Coccimiglio said in presenting the findings to the Utah Commission on Aging Friday morning.

But commission member Rep. Pat Jones, D-Cottonwood Heights, worries that the overly rosy picture — the "blanket of security," as she called it — may overshadow the realities of aging.

"People are having very high expectations," Jones said. "When those things don't happen, that is when we get into the crunch."

In fact, 27 percent of survey respondents did report that their No. 1 concern is having enough money during their retirement years. Another 11 percent specifically noted health-care costs as their top concern.

Also of concern is the finding that nearly one-third of those surveyed may have no one to manage their affairs, should they become incapacitated. Twenty-six percent of people said they had no one to take over their medical and financial matters, while another 5 percent did not know whom they would turn to in that situation.

Fortunately, the Nelsons have family living in the Salt Lake Valley area, including a son who lives with them in their east-side home. With another son living in Texas, the couple has trusted advocates should they need someone to handle personal matters one day.

They also have good neighbors, such as the woman next door who shoveled their sidewalk after this week's snowstorm — normally a chore that Dalmas Nelson enjoys for its health benefits.

"I need some exercise in the winter," said the 80-year-old retired University of Utah political science professor.