Design Highlights
- The number of younger adults in long-term care has doubled over the past two decades, now making up 16.5% of residents.
- Common diagnoses among younger residents include cerebral palsy, paralysis, and traumatic brain injuries, necessitating specialized care.
- Younger adults often reside in lower-quality nursing homes, which may not meet their unique needs compared to older residents.
- Medicaid and Medicare fund over 60% of long-term care, with younger adults heavily relying on public financing.
- The growing demand for long-term services among younger adults highlights systemic issues in facility quality and care provision.
Long-term care for younger adults is a topic that often gets overshadowed by the much louder conversations about the elderly. But here’s the kicker: it’s not just grandma and grandpa who need help. Adults aged 18 to 64 are increasingly filling nursing homes, and they’re not there for bingo night. In fact, the group aged 31 to 64 has become the fastest-growing population in these facilities over the past decade. Twenty years ago, only 8% of long-term care residents were under 65. Fast forward, and that number has jumped to 16.5%.
Why the rise? Well, in 2018, a staggering 14 million U.S. adults needed long-term services and supports. Of those, 6.1 million were younger adults. That’s right—44% of people needing these services were not even close to retirement age. Many of these younger adults face serious health issues like cerebral palsy, paralysis, traumatic brain injury, and multiple sclerosis. It’s not just about aging; it’s about chronic conditions that require ongoing care. Interestingly, the percentage of long-term care residents younger than 65 is now at 16.5%, illustrating the growing need for tailored services.
But here’s the kicker: the facilities aren’t designed for them. Younger adults are often stuck in lower-quality, for-profit nursing homes that simply don’t meet their needs. This mismatch is a recipe for disaster. While older residents may need assistance due to age-related decline, younger residents often grapple with disabilities that are anything but age-related. Long-term care insurance policies can cover a range of settings, including nursing homes, assisted living, and home health care, which could provide younger adults with more flexible options suited to their unique needs.
Let’s talk finances. Medicaid and Medicare foot the bill for over 60% of long-term care spending. In 2020, long-term care costs alone hit about $475.1 billion. Younger adults? They’re often reliant on public funding, with many using Medicaid to cover their long-term care. In fact, 79% of adult day services participants in 2022 had either some or all services paid for by Medicaid.
