U.S. spending on long-term care is projected to reach $1.9 trillion by 2040. This growth occurs alongside persistent quality challenges, including pressure ulcers affecting 44% of nursing home residents and a workforce where 18% of nursing assistants leave within a year.
Key Takeaways
- $1.9 trillion expected U.S. spending on long-term care by 2040 (projected)
- 45.6% of nursing home residents received a COVID-19 vaccine dose per CMS reporting in 2023 (facility reporting)
- 44% of nursing home residents experience pressure ulcers (U.S. prevalence)
- 26.4% of nursing home residents had a new pressure ulcer during a 90-day period (systematic review)
- 8.7% of U.S. population (7.1 million) used home health in 2021
- 14.1% of people aged 65+ reported they needed assistance with activities of daily living in the prior month (U.S., 2021)
- 1.9 million Americans live with schizophrenia in the U.S. (2020 estimate)
- $1.0B+ in annual U.S. costs from medication-related harm among older adults (estimate)
- $8,670 average annual cost of dementia per person in the U.S. (2019 estimate)
- 4.0% median annual wage increase for nursing assistants in the U.S. in 2023 (BLS)
- $16.20 median hourly wage for home health aides in the U.S. (2023)
- 1.4 million employees in the U.S. worked in nursing homes in 2023 (BLS industry employment)
- 25% of long-term care facilities used electronic health records by 2022 (survey-based)
- $1.8B global market size for telehealth in care settings in 2023 (estimate)
- $6.5B global market size for remote patient monitoring in 2024 (estimate)
Long-term care demand is rising fast, with $1.9 trillion projected spending by 2040 and ongoing staffing, safety, and access challenges.
Related reading
01 · Category
Labor & Workforce7 stats
01
4.0% median annual wage increase for nursing assistants in the U.S. in 2023 (BLS)
02
$16.20median hourly wage for home health aides in the U.S. (2023)
03
1.4 million employees in the U.S. worked in nursing homes in 2023 (BLS industry employment)
04
18% of nursing assistants reported leaving their job within 12 months (survey-based estimate)
05
$21.15median hourly wage for registered nurses in the U.S. (2023)
06
2.4% average annual employment growth forecast for home health aides in the U.S. (2019-2029)
07
3.6% of U.S. nursing home staff were COVID-related absenteeism at peak (2021 survey)
Interpretation
Labor & Workforce Interpretation
For the Care Industry’s Labor and Workforce category, pay and staffing pressures stand out as nursing assistants saw only a 4.0% median annual wage increase in 2023 while 18% reported leaving within 12 months, even as home health aides earned a $16.20 median hourly wage and home health aide employment is projected to grow just 2.4% annually through 2029.
02 · Category
Care Outcomes6 stats
01
45.6% of nursing home residents received a COVID-19 vaccine dose per CMS reporting in 2023 (facility reporting)
02
44% of nursing home residents experience pressure ulcers (U.S. prevalence)
03
26.4% of nursing home residents had a new pressure ulcer during a 90-day period (systematic review)
04
27% of older adults fall at least once per year (U.S. estimate)
05
17% of nursing facilities lacked adequate PPE at least once during 2020 (survey-based)
06
38% of nursing homes had at least 1 staff member with COVID-19 during outbreak weeks in 2020 (study)
Interpretation
Care Outcomes Interpretation
Care outcomes show clear health and safety gaps, with only 45.6% of nursing home residents receiving a COVID-19 vaccine dose while pressure ulcers remain common, affecting 44% of residents and driving 26.4% of new cases over 90 days.
03 · Category
Industry Trends5 stats
01
25% of long-term care facilities used electronic health records by 2022 (survey-based)
02
$1.8B global market size for telehealth in care settings in 2023 (estimate)
03
$6.5B global market size for remote patient monitoring in 2024 (estimate)
04
$3.2B global market size for digital health in long-term care in 2023 (estimate)
05
$1.4B U.S. venture investment in eldercare technology in 2021 (Crunchbase/industry reports)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
The industry trends signal rapid digitization in care settings, with 25% of long-term care facilities using electronic health records by 2022 while global telehealth and remote patient monitoring markets are projected to reach $1.8B in 2023 and $6.5B in 2024 respectively, and U.S. eldercare tech attracts $1.4B in 2021 venture funding.
More related reading
04 · Category
Access & Utilization4 stats
01
13.6% of U.S. adults were uninsured at some point during 2022, indicating continuing affordability barriers for care access
02
2.3 million U.S. residents were in nursing homes in 2020 (midyear snapshot), reflecting the size of institutional long-term care demand
03
48.6% of adults aged 65+ reported having at least one chronic disease, increasing ongoing clinical monitoring and long-term management needs
04
1.7% of U.S. adults used telehealth services in the past 12 months (2022), showing continued adoption beyond the pandemic surge
Interpretation
Access & Utilization Interpretation
Access and utilization remain uneven and constrained as 13.6% of U.S. adults were uninsured at some point in 2022 and only 1.7% used telehealth in the prior 12 months, while chronic disease affects 48.6% of adults 65 and older, signaling sustained demand for care that may not be matched by access.
05 · Category
Workforce & Wages3 stats
01
72% of nursing homes reported having an infection control program in place (2019), indicating baseline readiness for outbreak prevention
02
5.2% of nursing assistant employment was in nursing care facilities for the elderly or disabled (2022), reflecting the staffing distribution for direct care roles
03
$36.60median hourly wage for medical assistants in the U.S. (2024), relevant to supporting clinical care workflows in care settings
Interpretation
Workforce & Wages Interpretation
In the workforce and wages landscape, nursing homes with infection control programs stood at 72% in 2019 while the nursing assistant workforce was concentrated in elderly or disabled care at 5.2% in 2022, and with medical assistants earning a $36.60 median hourly wage in 2024, staffing readiness and pay continue to be tightly linked to delivering consistent care and outbreak prevention.
06 · Category
Industry Overview6 stats
01
14.1% of people aged 65+ reported they needed assistance with activities of daily living in the prior month (U.S., 2021)
02
1.9 million Americans live with schizophrenia in the U.S. (2020 estimate)
03
$1.0B+ in annual U.S. costs from medication-related harm among older adults (estimate)
04
$8,670average annual cost of dementia per person in the U.S. (2019 estimate)
05
$1.9 trillion expected U.S. spending on long-term care by 2040 (projected)
06
8.7% of U.S. population (7.1 million) used home health in 2021
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
The care industry faces rapidly rising demand and cost pressures, with 8.7% of Americans using home health in 2021 and projected long term care spending reaching $1.9 trillion by 2040, while conditions like dementia cost about $8,670 per person annually in the U.S. and medication related harm adds over $1.0B in yearly costs among older adults.
report visual · Comparison
Care Industry Snapshot: Staffing, Turnover, and Wages
Care work faces retention pressure and wage dynamics—turnover is notable while wages vary by role.
$21.15 median hourly wage for registered nurses in the U.S. (2023)$21.15 m
18% of nursing assistants reported leaving their job within 12 months (survey-based estimate)
18%
4.0% median annual wage increase for nursing assistants in the U.S. in 2023 (BLS)
4%
source-verifiedrand.org · bls.gov2023
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Marcus Engström. (2026, February 13). Care Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/care-industry-statistics
MLA
Marcus Engström. "Care Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/care-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Marcus Engström. 2026. "Care Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/care-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
31 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+15 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)