Long-Term Care Readiness: An AARP Survey Long-Term Care
Long-Term Care Readiness An AARP Survey of Adults 50
Uncertainty about paying for long-term care remains problematic among midlife and older adults
Read the Detailed Findings
(Report, PDF) (PDF) Long-term care is expensive. According to surveys, in 2021 the national median monthly cost of a private nursing home room was $9,034, with the median monthly cost of a one-bedroom unit in an assisted living facility coming in at $4,500. The monthly cost of home health aide services is $5,148 (assuming 44 hours of work per week). Unfortunately, many people incorrectly believe, or are uncertain about, whether Medicare covers long-term care services. Roughly half of the adults 50-plus in AARP's recent survey believe that Medicare covers care in a nursing home or care in their own home from a home health aide. Recognizing that they may need assistance as they get older does not mean that adults 50-plus have really thought about how they will live independently. Nearly seven in ten believe that they will need assistance with their daily activities as they get older, yet fewer than three in ten have given serious thought to how they will continue to live independently if they need such assistance. Not being able to continue to live independently and potentially becoming a strain or burden on family members are the top two concerns noted by roughly six in ten adults 50-plus. Methodology
To learn more about midlife and older adults’ attitudes and behaviors related to long-term care planning, AARP surveyed 1,011 U.S. adults age 50 and older. The survey was administered by phone and online December 9–13, 2021. Data are weighted to the latest Current Population Survey (CPS) benchmarks developed by the U.S. Census Bureau and are balanced by gender, age, education, race/ethnicity, region, and AARP membership. For more information, please contact Teresa A. Keenan at . For media inquiries, please contact External Relations at . Suggested citation: Keenan, Teresa A. Long-Term Care Readiness. Washington, DC: AARP Research, June 2022. Search AARP Research
Enter a keyword below to find answers to your AARP Research questions. NEWS ALERTS: Sign up for a monthly newsletter of the latest AARP Research. Subscribe Caregiving Can Be Costly — Even Financially
AARP study among family caregivers to quantify their out-of-pocket expenses and risks to financial security for caregiving. Social Media
Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures
Close In the next 24 hours, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription to receive emails related to AARP volunteering. Once you confirm that subscription, you will regularly receive communications related to AARP volunteering. In the meantime, please feel free to search for ways to make a difference in your community at Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.