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No. Nearly 40% of the 13 million Americans receiving long term care in the US are below 65 years of age. Long-term Care may be required by anyone, anytime and at any age. Anyone who suffers a major accident or develops a chronic physical or mental condition, irrespective of age, may need long term care.
As we age our chances of needing long-term health care increases. With conscious life style changes, people are living longer and healthier lives. However, longevity is a mixed blessing, as it does bring with it a higher chance of needing long term care at some point. Consider these statistics:
- 40% of those sixty-five and older will enter a nursing home for long term care at some point according to a study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- 1 of 2 women and 1 of 3 men over the age of 65 will need nursing home care at some point in their lifetime
- 10% of those who enter a nursing home will stay there five years or more
- Women are 50% more likely than men of entering a nursing home after age 65
- 19% of those 65 and older experience some degree of chronic physical impairment
- 22% of those age 85, the fastest growing segment of the population, are in a nursing home
Another factor pushing up the need for long term care services is the fact our extended families are more often geographically dispersed. So the ability to family members to care for those in need is difficult or impossible.
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