National Findings
The National Poll on Healthy Aging (NPHA) is a recurring, nationally representative household survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults age 50 and older.
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By tapping into the perspectives of older adults and their caregivers, the NPHA helps inform the public, health care providers, policymakers, and advocates on issues related to health, health care, and health policy affecting U.S. adults age 50 and older.
Explore national reports—longer summaries of NPHA findings on key topics and their implications—and poll extras, shorter articles that use timely data to answer urgent questions in health and health care.
National Reports
Displaying 1 - 6 of 74 reports
Video
Over half of adults age 50 and older have a pet, with most pet owners reporting that pets provide many key health benefits; however, pet owners age 50-80 in 2025 were less likely than their counterparts in 2018 to endorse several of these benefits
Pets
Most drivers age 65+ are less confident in their ability to drive safely over the next five years compared to now, but many do not have a plan for when they are no longer able to drive
Transportation
Most people age 50 and older who had someone attend their health care appointments with them said it was helpful.
Social Networks & Community Resources
More than half of adults age 50 and older reported using AI technologies, and many have found certain AI-powered devices and systems beneficial for aging in place
Technology
Video
The majority of people age 50 and older do not think they will need long-term care, and many have not taken steps to plan for their future long-term care needs
Caregiving
Financial Stress & Costs of Health Care
Most older adults have experienced an extreme weather event in the past two years and are concerned about the impact of climate on health
Emergency Preparedness
Environment
To accompany each National Poll on Healthy Aging report, the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy & Innovation will prepare supplemental materials available for non-commercial attributed use under the University of Michigan's Creative Commons 4.0 license. We will also share each report via social media from IHPI and the report’s sponsors.
Members of the media can arrange to receive each report under embargo, several days before public release. Reports are published eight times per year.
In addition to full NPHA reports, we occasionally issue poll extras, which contain a smaller amount of new data from our national and Michigan samples. These are also posted as news items on our site. Here's a full list of all poll extras:
- Who should pay for older adults’ care? Caregivers answer differently (April 2026)
- Caregiving without a net: Poll shows who needs help most (March 2026)
- Why aren’t more older adults getting flu or COVID-19 shots? (February 2026)
- Palliative care & hospice poll reveals major gaps (November 2025)
- Experiences of disability after 50: Poll looks at self-identity and help with health care visits (October 2025)
- Poll shows wide variation in older adults’ preparations to age in place (June 2025)
- Many older adults send their doctors portal messages, but who pays? (April 2025)
- Loneliness and isolation: Back to pre-pandemic levels, but still high, for older adults (December 2024)
- Grandparents help grandkids in many ways – but the reverse may be true too, poll suggests (November 2024)
- COVID-19 hits older adults hardest; which ones want the updated vaccine? (September 2024)
- Caregiving: Poll reveals who’s providing care and who they’re caring for (August 2024)
- Most older adults don’t know about resources that can help them navigate aging & caregiving (June 2024)
- Does trying to look younger reduce how much ageism older adults face? (February 2024)
- Worries about costs, time off work and COVID-19 kept some older adults from having surgery (January 2024)
- Few older adults use direct-to-consumer health services; many who do don’t tell their regular provider (January 2024)
- Many older adults want RSV vaccine, poll shows (August 2023)
- Many middle-aged adults wary of taking part in studies of dementia prevention drugs (November 2022)
- Rising food prices hit less-healthy older adults hardest, poll suggests (September 2022)
- Most older adults ready to roll up sleeves this fall for updated COVID-19 boosters (August 2022)
- Aging well in a pandemic: Older adults share what it takes (May 2022)
- Pandemic disruptions mean many older adults still haven’t gotten needed care (February 2022)
- Which older adults are getting flu shots and COVID boosters? Poll shows variation (November 2021)
- Pandemic took a toll on older adults serving as unpaid caregivers for chronically ill or disabled loved ones (October 2021)
- Majority of older adults say health care workers should have to get COVID-19 vaccine (September 2021)
- One-third of older Americans delayed health care over COVID concerns (June 2021)
Contact the NPHA Team
Have questions about our reports, media requests, or opportunities to collaborate? The National Poll on Healthy Aging team welcomes your inquiries.
General Inquiries
[email protected]
Media Inquiries
Kara Gavin
734-516-5362
[email protected]