Important facts

1. 1 in 5 Americans 65 years of age will enter a nursing home for 2-3 years on the average
   (American Health Care Information Group)
   
   
2. Average cost of nursing homes exceeds $40,000 annually
   (The Wall Street Journal, 3/31/99)
   
   
3. Full-time, live-in health care averages more than $50,000 a year.
   (Business Week, 4/15/96)
   
   
4. Medicare does not pay for long term medical service such as assisted living or adult day care.
   (Health Care Financing Administration--HCFA, 1997)
   
   
5. Home care not covered by Medicare except following a hospital stay and then only for a certain number of hours.
   (HCFA, 1997)
   
   
6. Medicare covers 100% of only the 1st 20 days in a nursing home after a hospital stay.
   (HCFA, 1997)
   
   
7. Medicaid pays for health care services for the very poor of any age. To qualify, nearly all of a patient's assets must be depleted.
   (Business Week, 2/97)
   
   
8. 7 in 10 people who live past 65 will use home care.
   (Business Week, 7/20/98)
   
   
9. 59,000 people are over the age of 100 today; there are projected to be 1.3 Million by the year 2040
   (US Bureau of the Census)
   
   

How fast are we growing older?

1. People in the U.S. now live to an average age of 76.1 years.
   (Source: Health, United States, 1998, U.S. Government Report)
   
   
2. The number of Americans over 65 years of age will grow from 33.9 million in 1996 to 70 million in the year 2030, a 106% increase.
   (Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 1996)
   
   
3. By 2030, 20% of the U.S. population will be age 65 or older, compared with 7.5% in 1996.
   (Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 1996)
   
   
4. Americans age 80 or older are the fastest-growing group of people in the U.S., increasing at a rate of more that 16,000 persons each month.
   (Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 1996)
   
   
5. In the last ten years, the number of Americans age 85 years and older has grown by 42%.
   (Source: American Demographics)
   
   

Stress of Family Caregiving

1. Nearly a quarter (23.9%) of U.S. households are now involved in caring for an elderly family member or relative, spending an average of 18.1 hours a week over a four year period.
   (Source: National Alliance for Caregiving/Glaxo Welcome Report, 1997)
   
   
2. Women provide 72% of all family caregiving, and nearly 65% of family caregivers are employed.
   (Source: National Alliance for Caregiving/Glaxo Welcome Report, 1997)
   
   
3. More than one-half (60%) of all family caregivers say they have suffered from depression.
   (Source: National Family Caregivers Association/Fortis Long Term Care, 1998)
   
   
4. Long distance caregivers miss nearly 15 million days of work each year.
   (Source: Natonal Council on Aging/The Pew Charitable Trusts, 1998)
   
   
5. Long-term family caregiving takes a significant toll on workers. Lost productivity, absenteeism, interruptions and replacing employees due to elder care costs American business in excess of $11.4 billion annually.
   (Source: National Alliance for Caregiving/Glaxo Welcome Report, 1997)

Some Facts About Home Instead Senior Care

1. Home Instead Senior Care is the nation's largest provider of non-medical companionship and home care services for the elderly with over 300 franchises operating.
   
   
2. The company's primary non-medical services include meal preparation, light housework, incidental transportation, errands and companionship
   
   
3. Home Instead CAREGivers are thoroughly screened, trained, bonded and insured, including thorough criminal background checks. The average age of a Home Instead CAREGiver is 50.
   
   
4. At-home and respite care services are a available for a few hours per week or as many as 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays.