Cost Of Care | Living Old | FRONTLINE

... And other statistics on America's aging society.

… Roughly 70% of nursing home residents have their care covered in part or in full by Medicaid … $135/visit is what the Visiting Nurse Service bills to Medicaid/Medicare.

General Facts

… 28% of Americans over 85 have five or more chronic conditions … 70% of the elderly have family and friends as their sole caregivers … After 85, only one in twenty is still fully mobile.

Caregiving

… The average American woman can expect to spend 17 years caring for a child and 18 years caring for an elderly parent … By 2006, personal/home care aides will be the fourth fastest growing occupation.

Population Statistics

… 45% of those 85+ who live in nursing homes have dementia … 36% of those 85+ are living alone … 55% of those 85+ will require long-term care.

Living Arrangements for Elderly 85+

… 891,800 are living in nursing homes (18.2%) … 1,332,00 are living in institutions (27%).

Geriatrician Facts

… Doctors who specialize in treating the elderly make up less than 1% of the 700,000 physicians in the United States.

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