Long-Term Care Statistics You Need to Know in 2018

If you operate a nursing home or other long-term care facility in the United States, your primary concern is to care for your senior residents and their families. However, finances are the lifeline of your facility, so you need adequate revenue to pay the bills and still make a profit at the end of the day. Consider these long-term care statistics that relate to your business.

• 52 percent of people—47 percent of men and 58 percent of women—who reach age 65 will need long-term care in their lifetime.
• 10 percent of Americans over age 65 have Alzheimer’s disease. This increases to 33 percent among people ages 85 and older. Two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women.
• The average length of time spent in long-term care is two years (2.5 years for women and 1.5 years for men). Only 14 percent of people need long-term care for five years or more.
• As the US population ages, the number of people needing long-term care is on the rise. As a result, long-term care expenditures skyrocketed from $30 billion in 2000 to $225 billion in 2015.
• The median yearly cost for weekday adult day care is $18,200.
• The median yearly cost for assisted living care is $45,000.
• The median yearly cost for nursing home care is nearly $86,000 for a semi-private room and over $97,000 for a private room. These figures vary significantly by location. For instance, the average yearly cost for a private room in a nursing home in Monroe, LA is under $52,000, while in Manhattan, NY, it’s over $215,000.
• The median household wealth for adults over age 65 with no disabilities is just over $263,000. As for those with physical or mental limitations, the median household wealth is $94,200.
• Unpaid family members and friends provide 83 percent of all long-term care in America, and two-thirds of older adults rely exclusively on free care. The estimated economic value of this unpaid care is $470 billion per year.
• 65 percent of unpaid long-term caregivers are female, and 25 percent of them are in the “sandwich generation,” meaning they provide care for their aging parents, as well as their children. Another 34 percent are over age 65 themselves.
• Medicaid provides care for 62 percent of nursing home residents, which covers 51 percent of all long-term care costs. 20 percent of Medicaid’s total funding goes toward paying long-term care, which is expected to increase by 50 percent between 2016 and 2026.
• In 2000, 125 insurers offered standalone long-term care insurance policies. As of 2014, fewer than 15 do. Also, only 20 percent of businesses with 10 employees or more offer long-term care policies to their workers. Still, the number of people with long-term care insurance has increased from 4.5 million in 2000 to 7.25 million in 2014.
• 14 percent of long-term care applicants ages 50 to 59 are denied coverage due to health issues. 45 percent of applicants ages 70 to 79 are denied.

With mounting costs, an aging population, and an increasing need for quality, affordable long-term care, you may struggle to manage it all. LTC Consulting can help you cut costs and navigate Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements to boost company profits. With us in your corner, you can focus on providing the best possible care for your senior residents while we oversee every financial aspect with great care and accuracy.

To learn more about LTC Consulting’s health care management services, please contact us today.

Sources:

• https://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/ppi/2017-01/Fact%20Sheet%20Long-Term%20Support%20and%20Services.pdf
• https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/facts-figures
• https://www.alzheimers.net/8-12-15-why-is-alzheimers-more-likely-in-women/
• https://www.cbo.gov/publication/19669
• https://www.genworth.com/dam/Americas/US/PDFs/Consumer/corporate/cost-of-care/131168_081417.pdf
• https://aspe.hhs.gov/basic-report/later-life-household-wealth-and-after-disability-onset
• https://www.caregiver.org/pilotIntegration/indexPersistent.html?uri=%2Fwomen-and-caregiving-facts-and-figures
• https://www.caregiver.org/caregiver-statistics-demographics
• https://www.kff.org/infographic/medicaids-role-in-nursing-home-care/
• https://www.kff.org/medicaid/report/medicaid-and-long-term-services-and-supports-a-primer/
• https://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/recurringdata/51301-2016-03-medicaid.pdf
• https://www.naic.org/documents/cipr_current_study_160519_ltc_insurance.pdf
• https://www.aaltci.org/long-term-care-insurance/learning-center/are-you-even-insurable.php