About 29 percent of people 65 and over in the United States report at least some limitation with their ability to conduct daily activities.
The majority of elderly people receiving long-term care receive unpaid, informal care at home.
In 2018, there were an estimated 1.9 million care workers providing formal help to those 65 and over.
Immigrants make up a nearly 40 percent of home health aides, 28 percent of personal care aides, and 21 percent of nurse assistants.
A much larger group of people provide informal, largely unpaid, care to the elderly. An estimated 10.6 million people, usually family members who have no training in caring for the elderly, provide long-term support to people 65 and over.
Medicaid is the largest public payer of long-term care for the elderly.
Only 15 percent of the persons 65 and over have purchased such insurance.
OECD estimates suggest that out-of-pocket costs of long-term care after public support are as much as 60 percent of median income for those with moderate needs and 80 percent for those with severe needs.
Source: Econofact