The Most Important Facts and Statistics About Nursing Homes
Nursing homes are needed now more than ever. With the American elderly population predicted to reach a staggering 94.7 million by 2060, there has been an increasing interest in nursing homes and how they function. To get started, here are some of the most important facts and statistics about these assisted living communities:
How many people live in nursing homes?
According to Dr. Tanya Gure, the section chief of geriatrics and associate professor in internal medicine at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, “there are about 1.4 to 1.5 million people living in nursing homes.”
Of this number, 33.8% are 85-94 years old, 26.4% are 75-84 years old, 16.5% are 65-74 years old, 15.5% are younger than 75 years old and 7.8% are 95 years old and older. As of 2016, there are 15,600 nursing homes in the country with more than 1.7 million licensed beds.
What are the most common needs of these residents?
A good chunk of seniors living in nursing homes typically need assistance with activities of daily living (ADL) like preparing meals and eating, bathing, getting dressed, going to the toilet, moving around the community or traveling to other locations, managing their medications.
Some residents may still be capable of these ADLs but are at higher risks for falls, wandering, and other safety issues because of underlying medical conditions. Still, others need quick and easy access to medical care when they need them.
What are the common medical conditions of nursing home residents?
One of the main goals of nursing homes is to offer assistance to seniors who have difficulty or limitations with independent living because of their medical conditions. Most of these residents are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, diabetes, arthritis, amputations, and eye diseases. But contrary to popular belief, a lot of these residents are still healthy and independent. They just need a safe place to live where they can fully enjoy life without any worries about daily chores.
In fact, almost 20% of these residents have no impairment with their ADLs, 15% have significant cognitive impairment that requires assistance with ADLs, 7% only have mild cognitive impairment and 1% have little or no cognitive impairment at all.
What are the costs of sending a loved one to a nursing home?
Another common concern among seniors and family members is the cost of moving into a nursing home. In 2018, the median price for a private room costa around $8,300 per month.
Alaska, Connecticut, and Hawaii have the highest average daily cost for a private nursing home that costs $907, $452, and $449 respectively. Louisiana, Missouri, and Oklahoma, on the other hand, have the lowest rates at $182, $182, and $174 respectively.
Although living in nursing homes is not cheap, they are also worth the cost considering that seniors get to live the best quality of life in a safe, secure, and loving community where they don’t have to worry about anything anymore and just live their life to the fullest.
Oxbow Living offers Assisted Living & Memory Care out of Nebraska and to the Surrounding Cities: Ashland, South Bend, Greenwood, Murdock, Elmwood, Ithaca, Mead
