There are currently 17,000 nursing homes in the United States, with a total of 1.8 million beds. 65% of nursing homes are for-profit; 25% are not-for-profit; and 10% are operated by the government.
The average nursing home has 107 beds.
1.6 million residents live in these nursing homes at any given time, and 2.4 million residents are discharged every year to home, hospital, or hospice care.
About half of all people who live in nursing homes are 85 years old or older. Most other residents are between the ages of 65 and 85. Among the general population, 20% of people 85 years and older live in nursing homes. Only 1.4% of people between the ages of 65 and 74 live in nursing homes.
72% of nursing home residents are women.
Nursing home residents move to a nursing home because they need help with the activities of daily life. They usually have serious health problems or mental impairments that make it impossible for them to live on their own.
Most people who live in nursing homes are admitted from the hospital after a surgery or a sudden illness.
25% of people admitted to a nursing home stay for only a short time, three months or less. Many of these short-term nursing home residents are admitted for rehabilitation, such as after a fall or illness. Others are admitted for end-of-life care, and die shortly after they are admitted.
About 50% of residents spend at least one year in the nursing home. 21% live there for about five years.
50%-70% of nursing home residents are affected by dementia, making it the most common problem in this setting.
The other most common health conditions of older patients in nursing homes are heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, and stroke.
Nursing and residential care facilities constitute 11.6% of the 545,000 health-care facilities in the United States. They employ 21.3% of all health-care industry workers.
Spending on nursing home care is expected to total $150 billion in 2007. As the population of America ages, the demand for nursing homes will rise, and these facilities will continue to play a vital role in caring for those with serious health conditions.