Length
Up Risk / Odds Length Aging Population Families Other Services

 

How Long Will You Need Long Term Care?

Unfortunately, no one has a crystal ball so we can never be sure how long you could need long-term care. We can look at some statistics to see what some of the nursing home “averages” are, but that is no guarantee that if you needed long-term care you wouldn't be 'above average', or 'below average'.

Length of Stay
Percent of Nursing Home Patients
Less than 3 months
17.6%
3-6 months
9.7%
6-12 months
14.8%
1-3 years
30.3%
3-5 years
13.6%
5+ years
14.0%

Source: The 1997 National Nursing Home Survey, National Center for Health Statistics, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (as seen in Long-Term Care: Your Financial Planning Guide, Phyllis Shelton 2003)

There have been a lot of studies on the average length of stay in a nursing home, but it is difficult to get studies that show how long people need care in assisted living facilities or in their homes.

An important point to note is that long-term care usually starts out in the home. Therefore, it is important to consider the length of time you may need care at home BEFORE you entered a nursing home and not base your planning on only nursing home statistics.

“One out of four caregivers in a 1998 national home care survey reported providing care longer than five years.”
The Caregiving Boom, Baby Boomer Women Giving Care, National Alliance For Caregiving, September 1998 as seen in Long-Term Care: Your Financial Planning Guide, Phyllis Shelton 2001