Hispanic Boomers report having Positive Outlook on Health

A new survey of Hispanic Baby Boomers conducted by health and well-being company Humana Inc. revealed that despite notable barriers, many Hispanics age 55 or over have a positive outlook on their health and are strongly motivated to stay healthy, with almost half of the respondents reporting they don’t feel old and still have many goals they wish to accomplish.

“Because Humana is committed to helping people achieve their best health, we wanted to understand what was important to Hispanic Boomers on their quest to pursue a healthier lifestyle,” said Fernando Valverde, MD, Humana Regional Medicare President. “We want to champion a proactive approach to health for Hispanic Boomers, and help them enjoy what’s ahead.”

The intent of this survey is to better understand the attitudes and behaviors of Hispanic Boomers on lifestyle choices and how they manage their overall health. Key findings include:

Hispanic Boomers report being active over the course of the year, and even more so when compared to the general population of Boomers.

•     The findings show that Hispanic Boomers reported participating in the following top five activities over the past 12 months: walking for exercise (69 percent), gathering with family and friends socially (61 percent), dancing (24 percent), swimming (24 percent) and meditating (23 percent).
•     In all the above cases, Hispanic Boomers reported being more likely than all Boomers to engage in these activities.

The survey also found that while Hispanic Boomers place a high level of importance on various activities to keep themselves mentally and physically healthy, they experience challenges and barriers to accomplishing activities.

•     The overwhelming majority of Hispanic Boomers stated that the following were important for keeping themselves mentally and physically healthy: doing activities that keep the mind active and stimulate the brain (95 percent), getting six to eight hours of sleep (94 percent) and eating a healthy nutritional diet (94 percent), and a majority of this audience reported doing any of these on a weekly basis.
•     Hispanic Boomers reported that the top three barriers for living a healthy lifestyle included cost (30 percent), existing health conditions (25 percent) and time (22 percent).

Even with the challenges that Hispanic Boomers face on their quest for a healthier lifestyle, they have strong motivations to continue to look after themselves and their health.

•     Hispanic Boomers reported that living a high quality life as long as possible (72 percent), remaining independent (71 percent) and being able to enjoy time with family and friends (68 percent) were their top three motivators.

The survey also examined Hispanic Boomers’ understanding of Medicare: Close to a quarter of survey respondents who are currently enrolled in Original Medicare with a Medicare Supplement Plan, Medicare Advantage or a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan, reported finding the process of choosing a Medicare plan to be confusing and complex.

“The Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plan Annual Election Period is a very important time for Hispanic Boomers with Medicare who are looking to take charge of their overall health,” said Dr. Valverde. “Even Boomers who are not yet eligible for Medicare may be thinking about future health care needs or assisting loved ones in selecting a health care path during this period. Identifying a plan for their health that is right for them, and having access to services nearby can be essential elements.”

The first step for Medicare-eligible Boomers in selecting the right Medicare plan is reviewing their current health needs, outlining their health goals and considering what health care needs they may have in the immediate future. The right Medicare plan may help Boomers with Medicare reach their well-being goals.