Long-term care involves the need for a range of services and support due to a chronic illness or disability. Generally speaking, long-term care does not involve medical care. Instead, it concerns the need for assistance with the activities of daily living. Many people require long-term care, which is why the month of November was designated as National Long-Term Care Awareness Month.

Long-Term Care Statistics

The following are a few statistics that you should know about long-term care:

• According to the National Family Caregivers Association, roughly 78 percent of adults that receive care at home depend on friends and family as their only source of care.
• There are around 45 million informal caregivers in the U.S. and, according to the AARP, the typical caregiver is a woman that’s on average 46 years old.
• According to the National Alliance for Caregiving, caregivers spend around 26 hours a week providing care for a loved one.
• The Center of American Progress revealed that 41 percent of family caregivers had to take a leave of absence to provide care for a loved one, with 37 percent having to switch from full-time to part-time.
• According to the Volunteers of America, 29 percent of caregivers use their own savings to provide their loved ones with the long-term care they need.

Who Needs Long-Term Care?

More and more people are requiring long-term care because they are living longer than before. A hundred years ago, the average American life expectancy was only 47. It’s now 78. As far as demographics go, more women need long-term care than men. Around 3 out of four assisted living residents are women and almost twice as many women over 65 are receiving long-term care at home than men. This is in part because women tend to live longer.

The average length of the long-term care a person needs is around three years, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Because of this, it’s important to plan for the possibility of long-term care to avoid financial problems. For more health information and advice, be sure to visit us at The Benefits Store today.