Long-term care is projected to consume about $1.9 trillion in U.S. spending by 2040, but the day to day reality is much messier than that headline figure suggests. From 44% of nursing home residents living with pressure ulcers to 18% of nursing assistants reporting they left within 12 months, the workforce and quality signals move in tension with each other. Add in rising chronic disease needs and uneven adoption of supports like PPE, telehealth, and electronic records, and the gaps in care access become hard to ignore.
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.
Market Size
1$1.9 trillion expected U.S. spending on long-term care by 2040 (projected)[1]
Verified
Market Size Interpretation
U.S. spending on long-term care is projected to reach $1.9 trillion by 2040, signaling major market growth for the care industry in terms of overall market size.
Care Outcomes
145.6% of nursing home residents received a COVID-19 vaccine dose per CMS reporting in 2023 (facility reporting)[2]
Verified
244% of nursing home residents experience pressure ulcers (U.S. prevalence)[3]
Verified
326.4% of nursing home residents had a new pressure ulcer during a 90-day period (systematic review)[4]
Verified
427% of older adults fall at least once per year (U.S. estimate)[5]
Verified
517% of nursing facilities lacked adequate PPE at least once during 2020 (survey-based)[6]
Verified
638% of nursing homes had at least 1 staff member with COVID-19 during outbreak weeks in 2020 (study)[7]
Verified
Care Outcomes Interpretation
Across care outcomes, the data show that 44% of nursing home residents experience pressure ulcers and 17% of nursing facilities lacked adequate PPE at least once in 2020, while only 45.6% received a COVID-19 vaccine dose, suggesting preventable health harms and infection risks remain substantial.
Policy & Access
18.7% of U.S. population (7.1 million) used home health in 2021[8]
Directional
Policy & Access Interpretation
In 2021, 8.7% of the U.S. population, or 7.1 million people, used home health, underscoring that policy and access decisions play a direct role in how many individuals can reach this level of care.
Population Demand
114.1% of people aged 65+ reported they needed assistance with activities of daily living in the prior month (U.S., 2021)[9]
Verified
21.9 million Americans live with schizophrenia in the U.S. (2020 estimate)[10]
Verified
Population Demand Interpretation
From the Population Demand perspective, the need for care is clearly concentrated, with 14.1% of Americans aged 65+ reporting help with activities of daily living in the prior month and an additional 1.9 million people living with schizophrenia in the U.S.
Cost Analysis
1$1.0B+ in annual U.S. costs from medication-related harm among older adults (estimate)[11]
Verified
2$8,670 average annual cost of dementia per person in the U.S. (2019 estimate)[12]
Verified
Cost Analysis Interpretation
From a Cost Analysis perspective, medication-related harm among older adults costs the U.S. more than $1.0B annually, while dementia alone averages $8,670 per person each year, underscoring how these health burdens quickly add up financially.
Labor & Workforce
14.0% median annual wage increase for nursing assistants in the U.S. in 2023 (BLS)[13]
Single source
2$16.20 median hourly wage for home health aides in the U.S. (2023)[14]
Verified
31.4 million employees in the U.S. worked in nursing homes in 2023 (BLS industry employment)[15]
Single source
418% of nursing assistants reported leaving their job within 12 months (survey-based estimate)[16]
Directional
5$21.15 median hourly wage for registered nurses in the U.S. (2023)[17]
Verified
62.4% average annual employment growth forecast for home health aides in the U.S. (2019-2029)[18]
Single source
73.6% of U.S. nursing home staff were COVID-related absenteeism at peak (2021 survey)[19]
Verified
Labor & Workforce Interpretation
With nursing assistants’ median annual wage rising only 4.0% in 2023 while 18% leave within a year and home health aides earn a median $16.20 an hour, the labor and workforce challenge in care work is clear and it is likely to keep tightening unless compensation and retention improve.
Industry Trends
125% of long-term care facilities used electronic health records by 2022 (survey-based)[20]
Verified
2$1.8B global market size for telehealth in care settings in 2023 (estimate)[21]
Verified
3$6.5B global market size for remote patient monitoring in 2024 (estimate)[22]
Directional
4$3.2B global market size for digital health in long-term care in 2023 (estimate)[23]
Verified
5$1.4B U.S. venture investment in eldercare technology in 2021 (Crunchbase/industry reports)[24]
Verified
Industry Trends Interpretation
As an industry trend, rapid digitization is accelerating with remote patient monitoring reaching a $6.5B global market in 2024 and telehealth in care settings at $1.8B in 2023 while only 25% of long term care facilities used electronic health records by 2022, showing clear room for growth alongside strong U.S. eldercare tech investment of $1.4B in 2021.
Access & Utilization
113.6% of U.S. adults were uninsured at some point during 2022, indicating continuing affordability barriers for care access[25]
Verified
22.3 million U.S. residents were in nursing homes in 2020 (midyear snapshot), reflecting the size of institutional long-term care demand[26]
Verified
348.6% of adults aged 65+ reported having at least one chronic disease, increasing ongoing clinical monitoring and long-term management needs[27]
Directional
41.7% of U.S. adults used telehealth services in the past 12 months (2022), showing continued adoption beyond the pandemic surge[28]
Directional
Access & Utilization Interpretation
In 2022, 13.6% of U.S. adults were uninsured at some point, and only 1.7% used telehealth in the past 12 months, underscoring that access barriers and limited utilization of alternative care routes remain key challenges within the Access and Utilization category.
Workforce & Wages
172% of nursing homes reported having an infection control program in place (2019), indicating baseline readiness for outbreak prevention[29]
Verified
25.2% of nursing assistant employment was in nursing care facilities for the elderly or disabled (2022), reflecting the staffing distribution for direct care roles[30]
Verified
3$36.60 median hourly wage for medical assistants in the U.S. (2024), relevant to supporting clinical care workflows in care settings[31]
Verified
Workforce & Wages Interpretation
In the Workforce and Wages picture, direct care staffing is concentrated with 5.2% of nursing assistant employment in nursing care facilities for the elderly or disabled and clinical support work is tied to wages like the $36.60 median hourly for medical assistants in 2024, while 72% of nursing homes having an infection control program in 2019 suggests that workforce readiness for outbreak prevention exists but remains uneven across the sector.
How We Rate Confidence
Models
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Single source
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Directional
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
Verified
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Models
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.
References
- 1medicareadvantage.com/resources/long-term-care-cost-projections-2040/
- 2data.cms.gov/provider-data/nursing-homes/
- 3ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8607100/
- 4ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7150684/
- 6ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7420939/
- 7ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7886828/
- 5nia.nih.gov/health/falls-and-fall-prevention
- 8cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/home-health-care.htm
- 9cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/disability.htm
- 26cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db430-tables.pdf
- 27cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm
- 28cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db478.pdf
- 10nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/schizophrenia
- 11jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2778162
- 19jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2782690
- 12alz.org/media/Documents/alzheimers-facts-and-figures.pdf
- 13bls.gov/oes/current/oes399011.htm
- 14bls.gov/oes/current/oes311011.htm
- 15bls.gov/oes/current/naics.htm
- 17bls.gov/oes/current/oes291141.htm
- 18bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/home-health-aides-and-personal-care-aides.htm
- 30bls.gov/oes/current/oes311141.htm
- 31bls.gov/oes/current/oes319092.htm
- 16rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1235-1.html
- 20himss.org/resources/long-term-care-technology-report
- 21grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/telehealth-market
- 22grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/remote-patient-monitoring-market
- 23reportlinker.com/p05973544/Long-Term-Care-Software-Market.html
- 24techcrunch.com/2022/02/??/eldercare
- 25census.gov/library/publications/2023/demo/p60-279.html
- 29aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/private/pdf/259286/nursinghomecovid19ib.pdf