Who Needs Long-Term Care?

Long-term care is not just for the elderly. Did you know that:

  • At least 70% of people over age 65 will require some long-term care services at some point in their lives.1
  • Of those who have long-term care needs, 41% are under age 65.2
  • 19% of Americans aged 65 and older experience some degree of chronic physical impairment.3
  • About 55% of those age 85 and older are impaired and require Long Term Care.3
  • By 2020, 12 million older Americans will need long-term health care.3
  • Family and friends are the sole caregivers for 70% of elderly people and most will cared for at home.3
  • People age 65 or older face at least a 40% lifetime risk of entering a nursing home. 10% will stay more than five years.3
  • 22% of people over age 85 are in a nursing home.3
  • Women, because they outlive men, face a 50% greater likelihood of entering a nursing home after age 65.3


Click here to read long-term care articles.


1U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information, LongTermCare.gov, September 2008.
2Georgetown University Long-Term Care Financing Project, "Long-Term Care Financing Policy Options for the Future," June 2007.
3AHIP, A Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance, 2004.