This statistic depicts the percentage of U.S. adults that have ever had a serious conversation with a loved one about select serious illness or end of life topics as of 2017, by age. According to the data, among those aged 18 to 29 years, 40 percent had conversations with a loved one regarding who will make medical decisions if they cannot. Comparatively, 82 percent of those aged 65 years and older had the same conversation.
Percentage of U.S. adults that have had serious conversations with a loved one about planning for serious illness as of 2017, by age
Characteristic
18-29 years
30-49 years
50-64 years
65 years and older
Who will make decisions about their medical care if they can no longer make them on their own
40%
59%
69%
82%
Their wishes for medical care if seriously ill
38%
46%
61%
71%
Who will help take care of them if they need help caring for themselves
31%
40%
55%
65%
What's needed for a good quality of life if seriously ill
25%
35%
43%
48%
Where they'll live if seriously ill
17%
29%
39%
55%
How to pay for health care and other support if seriously ill
Profit from the additional features of your individual account
Currently, you are using a shared account. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set
statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account.
If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again.
Learn more about how Statista can support your business.
Kaiser Family Foundation. (November 2, 2017). Percentage of U.S. adults that have had serious conversations with a loved one about planning for serious illness as of 2017, by age [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 30, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/869507/serious-illness-planning-us-adults-by-age/
Kaiser Family Foundation. "Percentage of U.S. adults that have had serious conversations with a loved one about planning for serious illness as of 2017, by age." Chart. November 2, 2017. Statista. Accessed December 30, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/869507/serious-illness-planning-us-adults-by-age/
Kaiser Family Foundation. (2017). Percentage of U.S. adults that have had serious conversations with a loved one about planning for serious illness as of 2017, by age. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 30, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/869507/serious-illness-planning-us-adults-by-age/
Kaiser Family Foundation. "Percentage of U.S. Adults That Have Had Serious Conversations with a Loved One about Planning for Serious Illness as of 2017, by Age." Statista, Statista Inc., 2 Nov 2017, https://www.statista.com/statistics/869507/serious-illness-planning-us-adults-by-age/
Kaiser Family Foundation, Percentage of U.S. adults that have had serious conversations with a loved one about planning for serious illness as of 2017, by age Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/869507/serious-illness-planning-us-adults-by-age/ (last visited December 30, 2024)
Percentage of U.S. adults that have had serious conversations with a loved one about planning for serious illness as of 2017, by age [Graph], Kaiser Family Foundation, November 2, 2017. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/869507/serious-illness-planning-us-adults-by-age/
