|
Nursing homes account for the greatest share of public and
private spending on long-term care (about 70%). A nursing
home is a residence that provides room, meals, recreational
activities, help with daily living, and protective supervision
to residents.
Generally, nursing home residents have physical or mental
impairments which keep them from living independently. Nursing
homes are certified to provide different levels of care, from
custodial (help with activities of daily living) to skilled nursing (services that can only be
administered by a trained professional).
The following statistics document the likelihood of entering
a nursing
home, reliance on Government funds, and characteristics of
residents (see our statistics
page for more information):
 |
About 43 percent of persons turning age 65 will use a
nursing home in their lifetime (Kemper and Murtaugh, 1991).
|
|
|
About 20 percent of
residents will spend 5 or
more years there (Kemper and Murtaugh, 1991).
|
|
|
Of those turning
65, 17 percent can expect to use a nursing home and receive
Medicaid reimbursement (Spillman and Kemper, 1995).
|
|
|
The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research projections show
that 4 out of every 10 older people will stay in a nursing home
at least once, and nearly 1 in 10 will stay for 5 or more years.
|
Additional Links:
|
