The Seniors in this picture are real. They use county transportation services with their peers to stay at home and continue their quality of life.
Please don't make their lives more difficult.
How many older people live in nursing homes in the United States?According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, slightly over 5 percent of the 65+ population occupy nursing homes, congregate care, assisted living, and board-and-care homes, and about 4.2 percent are in nursing homes at any given time. The rate of nursing home use increases with age from 1.4 percent of the young-old to 24.5 percent of the oldest-old. Almost 50 percent of those 95 and older live in nursing homes.
Linda Breytspraak, Center on Aging Studies, University of Missouri-Kansas City
Florida and Arizona aren't the only places with older populations (click here)
January 9, 2013
Emily Brandon
...The 65-and older population jumped 15.1 percent between 2000 and 2010, compared with a 9.7 percent increase for the total U.S. population. People age 65 and older now make up 13 percent of the total population, compared with 12.4 percent in 2000 and 4.1 percent in 1900.
Females significantly outnumber males at older ages, but the gap is narrowing. In 2010, there were 90.5 males for every 100 females among people age 65 and older, up from 88.1 males per 100 females the same age in 2000. "Women outnumber men in the older population at every single year of age," says Werner. "Males showed more rapid growth in the older population than females over the past decade." In the 2010 Census, there were approximately twice as many women as men beginning at age 89. This point occurred about four years older than it did in 2000, and six years older than in 1990....
What it CostsBrace yourself. (click here) Most people already know nursing home care can be expensive. Although the average cost is more than $50,000 a year and climbing, it can vary widely depending on where you live. Employee health insurance does not pay for nursing home care. About a third of nursing home residents pay all of their nursing home costs from their own funds. Extended nursing home care can eat up your or your loved one's savings quickly—many people exhaust their finances after just six months. A fraction of them—about 5 percent—buys long-term care insurance, which covers the cost of a nursing home or other extended care. Medicare, the federal health insurance program for older persons and some younger ones with disabilities, pays for short-term nursing home stays.
So what about the rest? The greatest share of residents, about two-thirds, pay for their care with money from Medicaid, a federal and state health insurance program for people with low incomes. Medicaid picks up the cost of nursing home care once people have used almost all of their savings—spouses are allowed to keep some assets including income, savings, and their home. However, Medicaid will only pay for nursing home care that is provided at a facility certified by the government.
Eligibility for Medicaid varies by state, so if you think a loved one may need care years from now, you should gather information as soon as possible. Learning early about the requirements ensures the care comes quickly when you or your loved one need it.
As more people live longer and nursing home costs rise, so too does the urgency to deal with these issues.
AARP is committed to supporting new laws that will guide the development of an affordable, quality long-term care system for
