Must-Read Nursing Home Facts & Statistics

As we age, it can become necessary to consider alternative living options. Health concerns, or decreased mobility are just some of the reasons that people can’t always continue to manage on their own.

After assisted living, the second highest long-term care facilities used are nursing homes. As the second largest generation, otherwise known as the ‘baby boomers’, reach retirement age, more people are in need of extended care than ever before.

There are many factors that impact nursing care facilities and their residents. Here are some must-read nursing home facts and statistics.

Various facilities country-wide

Whilst nursing homes are the most commonly known of, there are various long-term care facilities across the country, and the number of them vary by state, depending largely upon demographics.

As of 2016, long-term care was being provided by the following facilities:

• 28,900 - assisted living/residential care communities
• 15,600 - nursing homes
• 4,300 - hospices
• 12,200 - home health agencies
• 4,600 - adult day service centers

As the older population continues to increase, so too does the number of nursing home residents, yet currently, the number of facilities is shrinking, causing some older people to become caregivers themselves.

According to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation, in 2019, there were 1,246,079 residents of nursing home facilities throughout the U.S. - California with the most at 99,956 and Alaska with the least at just 499. 

Over 80% of these residents require help with at least three daily living activities, such as bathing or dressing, and 14% of those who provide care for older adults are 65 years old or more themselves.

More than 550 aged care facilities have closed since 2015, yet, despite these closures, occupancy has also decreased by nearly 2% - raising concerns that our aging population may not be getting adequate care. 

Residency demographics

It’s common to think of frail, elderly people when we think of nursing homes, but these aren’t the only people that reside at these facilities. In America, 8% of the population aged 40 - 50 have a disability and may require long term care.

Many people who have reached retirement age need care even though they are still relatively young compared to many other residents. Infact, people aged 65 or over have an almost 70% chance of requiring some form of longer-term assistance. Sometimes, people under retirement age temporarily or even permanently utilize these facilities, with 16.5% being under the age of 65. At the other end of the spectrum, more than 40% of patients at nursing homes are 85 years or over.

Because women tend to have a longer life expectancy than men, the majority of residents in nursing homes are female, making up almost 65% of the resident population. As age increases, so too does the ratio of women to men - according to the National Library of Medicine, between ages 65 and 74, there are 132 women to every 100 men, whereas over the age of 85, the ratio is 425:100.

The role of family

When an older person lacks family relationships or a partner, it can be more likely that they will end up in senior care facilities. Singleness is certainly a contributory factor, with nearly 70% of nursing care residents being either single, divorced or widowed.

Multiple children can also decrease the need for professional care, as children can replace the care that a long-term facility can offer. Having additional children can reduce a womans’ likelihood of living in a nursing home by 6%. Alarmingly, however, older people are beginning to outnumber children, a trend set to continue as the current rate of fertility is less than the number needed for population replacement.

Affordability 

Housing can be costly enough, without throwing in the added expense of professional care and services. Without careful long-term planning and on a retirement budget, the costs can be hard to manage.

According to Genworth’s Cost of Care survey, the current average cost for a semi-private room is $93,075 annually, and $105,850 if you prefer a private room. This is also likely to increase by several thousand dollars by 2022.

Another alarming statistic is that 79% of Baby Boomers currently have no savings set aside to pay for long-term care facilities, whilst 56% of the middle-income earners of the generation mistakenly believe that their long-term care will be paid for by Medicare when the time comes. In reality, a maximum stay of 100 days in a nursing home is supplemented by an average coverage of just 22 days by Medicare.

As our ageing population continues to grow, nursing homes become more essential than ever, yet the number of facilities as well as residents is falling, and unfortunately, this isn’t due to a decrease in the need for care. The costs of long-term care are increasing and many people simply aren’t planning for the expense of it. 

Sadly, it is also important to acknowledge that abuse does sometimes occur within care facilities, with a recent study reporting that 24.3% of residents experience one or more instances of physical abuse while in a nursing home. There needs to be a zero tolerance approach to change this statistic, and if you or a loved one have been a victim of nursing home abuse, you should consult with a specialized lawyer to consider your options for justice and compensation.

If you or someone you love needs care, there are great live-in care facilities available near you. At FindContinuingCare.com we have a premier list of assisted living, memory care and continuing care retirement communities in the country.

Click on "find communities" to begin your journey, and find the perfect senior living community or senior service near you.