Connecticut Ranked #4 Among Safest States for Seniors, Analysis Shows

Five of the top 10 states for seniors are in the Northeast, where seniors benefit from strong hospital bed availability, low elder fraud rates and in some cases, low rates of violent and property crime against older adults.

Connecticut is among the Northeast states, ranked at number four.  The others are No. 1 New Jersey, No. 2 New York, No. 3 Rhode Island, and No. 7 Pennsylvania.  The data was developed by the website CareScout. 

Western states dominate the bottom-ranked states. Arizona ranked as the least safe state overall, driven primarily by the highest rate of elder fraud in the country by a wide margin (501.2 complainants per 100k seniors) and poor hospital bed availability (10.9 beds per 1,000 Medicare enrollees, ranking 49th).

The website points out that retirement planning is about more than finances. The communities where people choose to age can influence their financial and physical health, independence and overall quality of life for years to come.

The CareScout analysis examined seven measures that can influence quality of life for older adults—including fraud, crime, falls, roadway safety, hospital access and public safety—to identify the safest and most challenging states for retirement.

While no single ranking can determine the best place to retire, understanding factors like safety, access to health care and community resources can help older adults and their families make more informed decisions. Combined with thoughtful planning and trusted support, these considerations can help people age with greater confidence – wherever they choose to call home, the web analysis notes.

Also ranked in the top 10 safest states to retire, in addition to the Northeast states, were Nebraska at number 5, Louisiana at number 6, Indiana at number 8, Illinois at number 9 and Iowa at number 10.

CareScout is a wholly owned subsidiary of Genworth Financial, Inc. CareScout aims to help older adults and their families navigate the aging journey, find, and fund quality care.  The website notes that by 2040, the number of Americans age 85 and older is projected to more than double, increasing pressure on families to navigate a fragmented and often overwhelming aging care landscape.