WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Kansans want the best care for their aging loved ones, but a new survey released this week shows they don’t necessarily agree on how to get it.

THE Kansas Speaks Fall 2024 Survey collected responses from 656 Kansas adults. It shows that 84.3% of them want their elderly family members to be able to stay in their hometown to benefit from long-term care services, while only 0.7% disagree . The remaining 15% were neutral on the subject or did not know.

Opinion: Kansans who need long-term care should be able to get it in their own community.

More than 77 percent of respondents said Kansas lawmakers play a key role in ensuring the well-being of older Kansans. About 4% disagree.

Opinion: State policymakers have an important role to play in ensuring older Kansans are cared for.

Of those surveyed, 77% want more to be done to develop long-term care workers. Most also believe that greater investment is needed in services and care. The investigation does not specify whether this involved an investment of time or money.

Opinion: Kansas should invest more in developing workers for long-term care services.

Opinion: Greater investments are needed in services and care for older Kansans.

The majority of respondents also want mental health support for their aging loved ones.

Opinion: It is important to address the mental health needs of older Kanans.

Of the 656 people who responded to the Kansas Speaks survey, 36.3% know someone who needs long-term care and support. Nearly 30% have immediate family members who need care and support, and 63.8% help provide care for their aging loved ones.

The survey also asked whether the state’s current regulations for nursing homes are OK, too much or not enough. Most people said they didn’t know (33.5%), while 30.5% favored too little, 24.2% thought it was good, and 11.9% felt there was had too many regulations.

The final question was about helping older Kansans stay home as they age. It was asked whether the state was providing enough support or not enough. Most respondents said the state provides too little support (51.7%), while 16.1% said the level of support is about right. The rest (32.2%) did not know.

Opinion: State support for people who want to stay at home as they age is:

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Kansas Speaks 2024 results

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The Docking Institute at Fort Hays State University is leading the Kansas Speaks Survey to measure statewide public opinion on key issues. THE Wichita Journalism Collaboration — which is financed by the Wichita Foundation — joined the institute as a co-sponsor of the survey.

For a full explanation of the methodology, see page 13 of the 2024 survey.

This article was produced as part of the Wichita Journalism Collaborationwhich includes KSN-TV and 10 other organizations and community groups.

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