45.7% of adults aged 65 and older need help with at least one activity of daily living. Only 31% of Medicare-certified nursing facilities earn top staffing ratings while 39.2% of residents experience falls. Figures on spending, occupancy, and wages outline the remaining pressures.
Key Takeaways
- 6.2% of adults aged 65+ reported needing help with meal preparation in 2023, based on U.S. CDC/NCHS functional limitation measures
- In 2020, 3.7 million people age 65+ received LTSS in a nursing home or other facility in the U.S.
- In 2023, 31% of Medicare-certified nursing facilities received “5-star” staffing ratings on Nursing Home Compare
- In 2020, nursing home residents were more likely to experience adverse outcomes when staffing was below recommended levels; CDC analyses found staffing shortages associated with higher mortality (cross-study finding)
- In 2022, 39.2% of nursing home residents experienced falls (incident reporting summary in peer-reviewed/registry-based studies)
- In OECD countries, public spending on long-term care averaged 1.6% of GDP in 2019
- Between 2010 and 2021, the number of U.S. people aged 65+ with a disability increased by 23%
- In 2021, median annual spending on home-based LTSS in the U.S. was $7,200 for people receiving care at home
- 8.7 million people were using long-term services and supports (LTSS) in the community in the U.S. in 2020, excluding those in nursing homes
- In 2021, 45.7% of adults aged 65+ reported that they need help with at least one activity of daily living (ADL) or instrumental activity of daily living (IADL)
- In 2023, the U.S. home health services market was valued at $113.2 billion
- In 2024, the global long-term care services market was estimated at $1.7 trillion
- In 2023, U.S. nursing home occupancy averaged 78.0% across reporting facilities
- In 2023, the median hourly wage for nursing assistants in U.S. nursing care facilities was $18.38
- In 2023, the median hourly wage for personal care aides in nursing and residential care facilities was $16.08
Rising disability and staffing shortages leave many U.S. nursing home residents with high risks, while long-term care demand grows.
Related reading
01 · Category
Quality & Outcomes5 stats
01
In 2023, 31% of Medicare-certified nursing facilities received “5-star” staffing ratings on Nursing Home Compare
02
In 2020, nursing home residents were more likely to experience adverse outcomes when staffing was below recommended levels; CDC analyses found staffing shortages associated with higher mortality (cross-study finding)
03
In 2022, 39.2% of nursing home residents experienced falls (incident reporting summary in peer-reviewed/registry-based studies)
04
In 2020, 18.4% of nursing home residents had pressure ulcers of any stage (published systematic review estimate)
05
In 2019, 24.5% of long-term care facility residents experienced at least one fall per year (systematic review estimate)
Interpretation
Quality & Outcomes Interpretation
Quality and outcomes in long-term care remain uneven, with only 31% of Medicare-certified nursing facilities earning 5-star staffing ratings in 2023, while resident harm signals persist such as 39.2% experiencing falls in 2022 and 18.4% having pressure ulcers in 2020.
02 · Category
Resident Outcomes5 stats
01
In 2022, 14.1% of nursing home residents had a pressure ulcer at some point during the year (minimum data set-based annual prevalence)
02
In 2021, 28% of nursing home residents experienced pain on a given assessment day (MDS-based measure used in peer-reviewed analyses)
03
In 2022, 9.3% of nursing home residents received a new or worsening stage of pressure injury within 90 days (longitudinal registry estimate)
04
In 2022, 10.7% of long-stay nursing home residents were reported as having delirium (MDS-based measure reported in a national cohort study)
05
In 2019, 16.2% of U.S. nursing home residents had at least one new hospitalization over a 30-day window (MDS-linkage evidence)
Interpretation
Resident Outcomes Interpretation
Within the resident outcomes category, the data show substantial and persistent adverse health events in nursing homes, with pain affecting 28% of residents on assessment days in 2021, delirium reported for 10.7% of long stay residents in 2022, and hospitalizations occurring for 16.2% of residents over a 30 day period in 2019.
03 · Category
Workforce & Staffing4 stats
01
In 2023, the median hourly wage for nursing assistants in U.S. nursing care facilities was $18.38
02
In 2023, the median hourly wage for personal care aides in nursing and residential care facilities was $16.08
03
In 2023, U.S. labor market postings for direct care jobs in nursing and residential care facilities declined by 6% year-over-year (online job posting index)
04
In 2022, there were 2.8 million U.S. home health aides and personal care aides combined
Interpretation
Workforce & Staffing Interpretation
In 2023, workforce pressure is evident in Long-Term Care staffing, with median hourly pay of $18.38 for nursing assistants and $16.08 for personal care aides alongside a 6% year-over-year drop in direct care job postings in nursing and residential care facilities, even though the total labor pool of 2.8 million home health and personal care aides in 2022 underscores how reliant care settings are on these roles.
More related reading
04 · Category
Cost Analysis3 stats
01
In OECD countries, public spending on long-term care averaged 1.6% of GDP in 2019
02
Between 2010 and 2021, the number of U.S. people aged 65+ with a disability increased by 23%
03
In 2021, median annual spending on home-based LTSS in the U.S. was $7,200for people receiving care at home
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Cost analysis shows that long-term care is becoming more expensive and more pressured as OECD public spending averaged 1.6% of GDP in 2019 while in the U.S. the number of people aged 65 plus with a disability rose 23% from 2010 to 2021 and median annual home-based LTSS spending reached $7,200 in 2021.
05 · Category
Usage & Coverage2 stats
01
8.7 million people were using long-term services and supports (LTSS) in the community in the U.S. in 2020, excluding those in nursing homes
02
In 2021, 45.7% of adults aged 65+ reported that they need help with at least one activity of daily living (ADL) or instrumental activity of daily living (IADL)
Interpretation
Usage & Coverage Interpretation
In the Usage and Coverage picture, about 8.7 million Americans were already using long-term services and supports in the community in 2020, and by 2021 45.7% of adults aged 65 and older said they need help with at least one ADL, pointing to strong and growing demand for community-based long-term care.
06 · Category
Industry Overview5 stats
01
In 2023, the U.S. home health services market was valued at $113.2 billion
02
In 2024, the global long-term care services market was estimated at $1.7 trillion
03
6.2% of adults aged 65+ reported needing help with meal preparation in 2023, based on U.S. CDC/NCHS functional limitation measures
04
In 2020, 3.7 million people age 65+ received LTSS in a nursing home or other facility in the U.S.
05
In 2023, U.S. nursing home occupancy averaged 78.0% across reporting facilities
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
With the U.S. home health market at $113.2 billion in 2023 and the global long-term care services market reaching an estimated $1.7 trillion in 2024, the sector’s scale is clear, and the need and demand are reflected in 78.0% average U.S. nursing home occupancy in 2023 and 3.7 million Americans age 65 plus receiving LTSS in facilities in 2020.
report visual · Key figures
What long-term care looks like in facilities
In recent measures, staffing quality varies while resident adverse outcomes like falls and pressure ulcers affect a substantial share of people.
31%
In 2023, 31% of Medicare-certified nursing facilities received “5-star” staffing ratings on Nursing Home Compare
39.2%
In 2022, 39.2% of nursing home residents experienced falls (incident reporting summary in peer-reviewed/registry-based s
14.1%
In 2022, 14.1% of nursing home residents had a pressure ulcer at some point during the year (minimum data set-based annu
24.5%
In 2019, 24.5% of long-term care facility residents experienced at least one fall per year (systematic review estimate)
18.4%
In 2020, 18.4% of nursing home residents had pressure ulcers of any stage (published systematic review estimate)
source-verifiedmedicare.gov · pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · jahonline.org2023
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Diana Reeves. (2026, February 13). Long-Term Care Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/long-term-care-statistics
MLA
Diana Reeves. "Long-Term Care Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/long-term-care-statistics.
Chicago
Diana Reeves. 2026. "Long-Term Care Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/long-term-care-statistics.
Sources & references
24 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+7 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)