Monday, September 12, 2016

Decline in Nursing Home Residents

The number of nursing home residents has fallen steadily since 1997 as home health care and residential care options have expanded. Between 1997 and 2014, the number of nursing home residents fell 9 percent—despite a 26 percent increase in the 65-plus population and a 57 percent increase in the number of people aged 85-plus.

Fewer nursing home residents
2014: 1,369,000
2010: 1,396,000
2005: 1,436,000
2000: 1,480,000
1997: 1,503,000

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Long-Term Care Providers and Services Users in the United States: Data from the National Study of Long-Term Care Providers, 2013-2014, and Health United States, 2015

2 comments:

judisblog said...

What about residential homes that are converted to elder care?

Cheryl Russell said...

The statistics are a count of nursing home residents. Residents of residential homes for eldercare likely would be counted as residential care community residents and not nursing home residents. In 2013-14 there were 835,200 people living in residential care communities.