Long-Term Care Statistics 2022

Explore Long Term Care Stats On Costs, Insurance, Needs & Demographics.

Overwhelmingly these statistics show that Americans are considerably under-insured and not prepared for a life that will require long term care.

Even more, the people who suffer the most seem to be the (unpaid) family members that have to spend hours on end taking care of their loved ones; especially over a long period of time.

Key Long Term Care Statistics

• Only 7.5 million Americans, or about 3.3% of the population, has long term care insurance.
• On average, a female will need 3.7 years of long-term care services while a male will need 2.2 years.
• 20% of Americans over 65 will need long-term-care for more than 5 years.
• The average American will spend $172,000 on long-term care costs (PWC).
• In 2022, the annual median cost for long term care services was $94,900-$108,405 nationally.
• People in the U.S. spent $293 billion on Long Term Care In 2018, Up from 225 billion in 2015.
• There are over 800,000 senior Americans residing in an Assisted Living Facility.
• Nearly 70% of people over 65 will need some form of LTC during their lifetime.
• 88% of Americans prefer home care over institutionalization.
• The average annual cost of LTC insurance is $2,220 for a 55 year-old male and $3,700 for a 55 year-old female.

Contents

Quick Links To Navigate Our Statistic Topics

• Chapter 1: Key Long Term Care Statistics
• Chapter 2: Should You Buy Long Term Care Insurance?
• Chapter 3: Who Cares For Us When We Need Long-Term Care & Where?
• Chapter 4: How Much Does Long Term Care Cost?
• Chapter 5: What Is The Average Long Term Care Stay?
• Chapter 6: What Percent Of Elderly People Live In Nursing Homes?
• Chapter 7: Who Pays For Long Term Care?
• Chapter 8: Does Long Term Care Only Affect The Elderly?
• Chapter 9: What Does The Future Of Long Term Care Look Like?
• Chapter 10 : Long Term Care Statistics from 2000 to 2015
• Long Term Care FAQ’s

Long Term Care Insurance Statistics

Should You Buy Long Term Care Insurance?

It’s hard to argue that long-term care is expensive, but do you actually need long term care insurance? It’s also interesting to see what the costs of long-term care insurance are.

The price for a 55 year old couple buying a new long-term care insurance policy can be as little as $3,050 or as much as $8,534 for almost identical insurance protection.

In 2022, the average annual long-term care insurance premium was for $2,220 for a 55 year-old male and $3,700 for a 55-year old female.

The annual premium for a 55-year-old male with an initial pool of benefits equivalent to $165,000 (growing to $400,378 when insured reaches age 85) was $950 in 2021. The annual premium for a 55-year-old female with an initial pool of benefits equivalent to $165,000 (growing to $400,378 when insured reaches age 85) was $1,500 in 2021. In 2021, the combined annual premium for long-term care insurance for a couple when both individuals are 55 years old and with an initial pool of benefits equivalent to $165,000 (growing to $400,378 when insured reaches age 85) was $2,080

43% of long-term care insurance benefits were used for home care expenses in 2019.

In 2019, 13.5% of long-term care insurance claims ended because the policy benefits had been exhausted. Around 72.5% of long-term care insurance claims ended in 2019 because of death. Only 14% of long-term care insurance claims ended because of recovery in 2019.

43% of long-term care insurance claims ended in a home care setting in 2019. 26.5% of long-term care insurance claims ended in an assisted living facility in 2019.

The combined annual premium for a hybrid insurance policy with life and long-term benefits for a 55-year-old couple was $8,100 in 2018. The combined annual premium for a hybrid insurance policy with life and long-term benefits for a 65-year-old couple was $13,800 in 2018.

64% of long-term care insurance claims were for female patients in 2019.

Over 29% of long-term care insurance claims began before the patient was 81 years old in 2019.

18% of home care expenses are paid for with private insurance or out-of-pocket.

Around 44% of applicants between the ages of 70 and 79 years old were denied long-term care insurance coverage due to health issues in 2019.

30% of applicants between the ages of 60 and 69 years were denied long-term care insurance coverage in 2019.

22% of applicants age 59 or younger who were denied for long-term care insurance coverage in 2019.

20% of applicants ages 50-59 denied long-term care coverage due to health issues.

The number of insurers offering stand-alone long-term care policies has fallen from 125 to 14.

99% of new long-term care policies will cover both nursing home and in-home care.

153,687

153,687 Americans bought Individual Long-Term Care Protection in 2021.

$2 Trillion

The maximum potential benefit of all long-term care policies in force is nearly $2 Trillion Dollars.

$12.3 Billion

In 2021, over $12.3 Billion dollar in long-term care benefits were paid.

Only 0.5% of all businesses are offering long-term care insurance to their employees.

Just 20% of businesses with 10 or more employees offering long-term care insurance to their employees.

Long-Term Care Statistics Based On Caregiver

Who Cares For Us When We Need Long-Term Care & Where?

Believe it or not but the “informal” caregiver and “family” caregivers are leaned on heavily by someone experiencing a long term care need.

Not only do they end up providing the most hours toward care, they also are unpaid and end up having a poor quality of life.

It’s also hard to know the exact number of family and informal caregivers that are out there because the estimates continue to vary.

1 out of every 5 households are involved in caregiving to someone aged 18 or over

A male family caregiver will lose over $280,000 in benefits and income during their lifetime. A female family caregiver will lose an average of $300,000 in benefits and income during their lifetime.

65 million

Over 65 million informal and family caregivers give care to people who are ill, disabled or aged in America.

43 million

Over 43 million caregivers provide care for someone age 50 or older.

27.3 million

27.3 million family caregivers take care of someone aged 15+ with a disability or chronic illness.

9 million

Almost 9 million informal caregivers take care of someone aged 50+ with dementia.

2 out of 3 older people with disabilities who receive long term services at home get all their care from a family member.

45% of people caring for elderly long-term care users were themselves aged 45 or over.

65% of all long-term caregivers are female.

25%: of long-term care givers are part of the “sandwich generation" people providing for their (adult)children as well as their parents. 83% of care provided to older adults comes from friends or family members.

When it comes to stress; 53% of people providing care have seen an increase.

46% of caregivers believe their health and has been negatively affected by providing care.

41% of caregivers have experienced feelings of depression and resentment related to providing care.

40% of people giving care have reported that it negatively impacted their relationship with their spouse.

48% of caregivers decreased their quality of life to pay for care expenses.

70%: of caregivers suffer work-related difficulties because of their caregiving duties. 36% of caregivers for people age 50+ said they were experiencing high levels of financial strain.

Around 80% of elderly people receiving assistance live in private homes, not in institutions.

Only 9% of people with disabilities receive paid help only.

Elderly people with limitations in three or more ADL's living in the community receive an average of 9 hours of assistance per day.

16 Million Americans provide unpaid care to someone with Dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

Daughters make up 33% of all caregivers to people with Alzheimer's or Dementia

It’s estimated that caregivers give $234 Billion in unpaid caregiving to people with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

34.2 million

At least 34.2 million Americans have provided unpaid care to an adult aged 50 or over in the past 12 months.

$470 Billion

Overall, the total dollar value of unpaid long-term care is estimated at $470 billion.

63% of people are paying for care using their personal savings or retirement funds.

Around 10% of older adults have suffered from some form of elder abuse.

Only 7% of elder-abuse cases are reported to authorities.

Long-Term Care Costs Statistics

How Much Does Long Term Care Cost?

The costs of long term care are pretty expensive and depending on your situation; not being prepared for long term care could create a huge financial burden on yourself and your loved ones.

Studies have shown that the delivery of home based long-term care services is a cost-effective alternative to nursing homes.

Only 7% of residents receive Medicaid coverage for assisted living.

Medicare does not pay the largest part of long term care services, which include personal care and custodial care.

1 in 4 people aged 45 and over are not prepared financially if they suddenly required long-term care for a long period of time.

In 2019 families absorbed 70% percent of long-term care costs.

Over 2/3 of the current health care dollar goes to treating chronic illness; for older people the proportion rises to almost 95%.

In 2017, the average daily rate for a semi-private room in a skilled nursing facility was between $140 to $771.

The average annual cost estimates were $18,000 for adult day care and $43,200 for assisted living.

$90,850

The national average cost of care for just one year in a nursing home is approximately $90,850.

$25 billion

The annual cost of lost productivity to companies from Long Term Care responsibilities for their employees is $25 billion a year.

$45,188

The median overall cost of home health services in the United States was $45,188 in 2018.

The median overall cost of nursing home services in the United States was $85,000 in 2018. In 2018 the median overall cost of nursing home services in Connecticut was $150,200, which has the most expensive costs in the country. In 2018 the median overall cost of nursing home services in Texas was $54,800, which has the least expensive costs in the country.

13% of adults are going to pay up to $50,000 in lifetime long-term care expenses out of their own pocket. 11% of adults will pay between $50,000 and $150,000 in lifetime long-term care expenses out of their own pocket. 13% of adults are going to pay at least $150,000 in lifetime long-term care expenses out of their own pocket.

$18,200 was the median annual cost for adult day care (five days/week) in 2017. $45,000 was the median annual cost for assisted-living facility in 2017. $85,775 was the median annual nursing-home cost for a semiprivate room in 2017. $97,455 was the median annual cost for a private nursing-home room in 2017.

In 2017 for a private room or the daily rate was between $169 and 771.

The average annual cost for adult daycare in 2018 was $18,720. In 2018 the average annual cost for assisted living was $48,000.

The largest claim paid for a male patient’s care was $2,276,381 in 2019. The largest claim paid for a female patient’s care was $2,636,417 in 2019.

The average lifetime cost of care for an individual who has dementia in 2018 was $350,174.

The average annual cost for a home healthcare provider was $50,340 in 2018.

1.51%

Hourly rates for home healthcare services has had an annual percentage increase of 1.51%.

3.16%

There has been a 3.16% annual percentage increase for the cost of a private patient room in a skilled nursing facility.

3.2%

There was a 3.2% annual percentage increase for the cost of a semi-private patient room in a skilled nursing facility.

Long Term Care Statistics Based On Needs

What Is The Average Long Term Care Stay?

Figuring out the actual needs of someone who has lost the ability to complete a few of their activities of daily living is essential. We also take a look at how long of a period people have tended to need long term care.

There is a 68% chance of becoming disabled in at least two activities of daily living or of being cognitively impaired for people age 65 and older.

69% of people who are age 65 or older will develop disabilities before they die, and 35% will enter a nursing home.

By 2050, the number of individuals using paid long-term care services could grow to 27 million people.

The longest period of time a male has received long-term care was 19 years and 3 months in 2019. In 2019, the longest period of time a female has received long-term care was 18 years and 1 month.

In 2018, 21% of adults who were 65 years or older required long-term care for 2 and 4.9 years. 13%: Percentage of adults who are 65 years or older required long-term care for more than 5 years in 2018.

About 30% (1.5 million people) have substantial long-term care needs (multiple ADL limitations).

Health insurance covers less than Medicare when it comes to long term care.

There were 5.8 Million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia in 2019.

200,000 Americans under the age of 65 were diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease in 2019.

1 in 3 seniors passed away with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease in 2019.

64% of Americans with Alzheimer's are women.

In 2019, Alzheimer’s disease was ranked number 5 for the overall cause of death among those who are 65 years or older.

Alzheimer’s disease ranked number 6 for overall cause of death among all age groups in 2019.

Every 65 seconds a new patient was diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease in the United States in 2019.

Around 10% of Americans over age 65 have Alzheimer's disease. 33% of Americans over age 85 have Alzheimer's.

A person who gets diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease is expected to live for only an additional 4 to 8 years.

14% of people who will need long-term care for longer than five years.

The average number of years women will need long-term care is 2.5 years. Men will need long term care for at least 1.5 years.

22% of individuals over 65 who are in the highest income brackets will need long-term care for two years or longer. 31% of individuals over 65 in the lowest income brackets will need long-term care for two years or longer.

25% of people who have multiple ADL limitations are 85 and older and 70% of them say they are in fair to poor health.

Nursing Home Statistics

What Percent Of Elderly People Live In Nursing Homes?

In 2019 about 29.5% of long-term care insurance claims ended in a nursing home facility.

Medicaid is responsible for 62% of all nursing home care.

Long Term Care Funding Statistics

Who Pays For Long Term Care?

Consumers are providing around 17% of the total annual long term care spending.

31.9% of annual home care expenses are paid for with Medicare funds. 18% of annual home care expenses are paid for with Medicaid funds.

In 2019 Medicare & Medicaid paid $195 Billion toward care for patients with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

Following a qualifying hospital stay, Medicare covers around 100 days of care in a skilled nursing facility ("rehab").

The average maximum amount of assets that a healthy spouse can retain for the other spouse to be eligible for long-term care benefits through Medicaid was $123,600 in 2018.

The average monthly income that a healthy spouse can receive for the other spouse to be eligible for long-term care benefits through Medicaid was $3,090 in 2018.

Medicaid is expected to have a 50% increase in long-term care spending between 2016 and 2026.

In 2016 Medicaid used 20% of its entire budget to fund long-term care.

7% of people in the U.S. receive Medicaid benefits for assisted living expenses.

Roughly $16.4 Billion in funds from Medicaid are applied to long-term care expenses at home or through community-based service programs.

Long Term Care Demographic Statistics

Does Long Term Care Only Affect The Elderly?

Around 41% of long term care recipients require assistance because of illnesses, injuries, disabling conditions, or accidents. This means long-term care doesn’t just concern the elderly.

For every 1 person receiving Long Term Care in a nursing home, there are 4 people receiving home health care.

Within 1 year of entering a nursing home about 75% of all single people spend their entire savings.

In about 1 year of entering a nursing home about 50% of all couples spend their entire savings.

Statistics On The Future Damage Of Long Term Care

What Does The Future Of Long Term Care Look Like?

Many retirees will face serious problems attaining needed health and long-term care services in the future if savings rates aren’t increased.

The responsibility of care has switched from paid providers to family care givers due to shorter hospital stays and increased usage of outpatient procedures. This is creating a huge burden for family caregivers.

By 2030, many retirees will not have enough income and assets to cover basic expenses or any expenses related to a nursing home stay or services from a home health provide.

Older Long Term Care Statistics

Long Term Care Statistics from 2000 to 2015

Medicaid spent 57% on long term care for adults who are 65 years old or older in 2000.

In 2000 there were 4.5 million individuals with long-term care insurance coverage.

In 2002, 5% of people aged 65-69 had moderate to severe memory impairment. 32% of people age 85 or older had moderate to severe memory impairment in 2002.

There were 72,736 hybrid life/long-term care policies sold to individuals in 2009. There were 305,068 hybrid life/long-term care policies sold to individuals in 2013.

In 2003, Medicaid paid $27.8 billion on community-based long-term care services.

An estimated 12 million Americans needed long-term care in 2007.

14.8% of the 65+ population were reported to be below the poverty level in 2012.

Since 2013 around 29% of caregivers have reported increased care expenses.

Over 7.2 million people had long-term care insurance coverage in 2014.

The average annual premium for a long-term care insurance policy was $1,677 in 2000. The average annual premium for a long-term care insurance policy was $2,772 in 2015.

There were $30 billion in long-term care expenses in America in 2000. There were $225 billion in long-term care expenses in America in 2015.

In 2002, about 5% of people with moderate or severe memory impairment was aged 65–69.

There was a 123% increase in the number of people who died from Alzheimer's and Dementia between 2000-2015.

There was a 11% decrease in the number of people who died from heart disease between 2000-2015.

In 2003 about 63% of people needed long-term care services who were 65 years old or older. 37% of people in need of long-term care services were under the age of 65 in 2003.

31.9% of the annual estimated home care expenses were paid for by Medicare in 2003.

There was a 68% probability that an individual who was 65 years old or older would become physically or cognitively impaired in 2003.

There were 4,742,500 people who received long-term care from home health agencies in 2015. About 1,383,700 people received long-term care in a nursing home in 2015. 1,244,500 people received hospice care in 2015.

In 2015, 713,000 people lived in a residential care community. 273,200 people used adult day care service centers in 2015.

Medicaid provided 56% of the long-term care services and support in 2015.

In 2015 about 8,357,100 people received support from the 5 main long-term care services.

Medicaid Paid 282.9 Billion on Long Term Care Costs in 2015 alone.

Long Term Care FAQ’s

What is meant by long term care?

When people use the words long term care they are primarily talking about taking care of an adult that can’t take care of themselves for a long period of time. Usually people with a chronic illness or some sort of disability. Long-term care is mainly focused on promoting independence and increasing the quality of life for an individual.

Who qualifies for long term care?

To live in a long-term care home, you must:

• have reached the age of 18 or older
• need 24-hours nursing care or personal care
• constantly need assistance with activities of daily living
• have on-site supervision or monitoring to ensure your well-being
• have care needs which cannot be safely met in your community or home
• have care needs which can be met in a long-term care home

What is an example of long term care?

The best example of long-term care is going to be when someone loses up to two activities of daily living. These activities include being able to move around, eating, getting dressed, grooming, using the toilet and bathing.

Just imagine not being able to get out of bed or being able to brush your teeth. Those would all require long term care and things like heart attacks or strokes can also create the need for long term care.

Why is long term care important?

Long term care is important because as we age our ability to take care of ourselves changes.

We will probably need as much assistance as a new born baby does as we get older and not having something in place can destroy our quality of living.

How do you plan long term care?

The best way to plan long term care is by putting in place the finances and people who would be able to help you during the times you might need long term care.

Needing help with long term care usually is triggered by the loss of at least two activities of daily living (ADLs).

The specific activities include: bathing, dressing, eating, transferring, toileting, and continence.

Any type of mental impairment, like Dementia or Alzheimer’s can automatically put you in a position of needing long-term care; regardless if the loss of two – ADL’s has happened.

What are the types of long term care facilities?

• Family or Informal Care - The type of care provided at home by a family member.
• Home Health Care - Care provided at your home by a professional / paid care-giver.
• Homemaker Services – Assists people with day to day household duties.
• Home Telehealth – Provides virtual assistance to people needing care.
• Adult Day Care Centers – Daycare that caters to seniors / elderly during the daytime.
• Home Care Agencies – Offers scheduled caregiver visits or help with chores at home.
• Continuing Care Retirement Communities – A place where seniors can receive basic care while living independently in a community.