National Study of Long-Term Care Providers Report

NCHS has released the first in a series of NSLTCP reports today. Long-Term Care Services in the United States: 2013 Overview includes general, descriptive information on the supply, organizational characteristics, staffing, and services offered by providers of long-term care services; and the demographic, health, and functional characteristics of users of these services.

The report shows that in 2012, about 58,000 paid, regulated long-term care services providers served about 8 million people in the U.S.

• Each day in 2012 there were 273,200 participants enrolled in adult day services centers, 1,383,700 residents in nursing homes, and 713,300 residents in residential care communities.
• In 2011, about 4,742,500 patients received services from home health agencies, and 1,244,500 patients received services from hospices.

Selected summary highlights from the report include:

• Provider sectors differed in ownership, and average size and supply varied by region.  In all sectors except adult day services centers, the majority of long-term care services providers were for profit.  The largest share of adult day services centers, home health agencies, hospices, and nursing homes was in the South, while the largest share of residential care communities was in the West.
• Provider sectors differed in their nursing staffing levels, use of social workers, and the types of services offered.  The majority of nursing employee full-time equivalents (FTE) in residential care communities, adult day services centers, and nursing homes were aides, while the majority of nursing FTEs in hospices and home health agencies were registered nurses.
• Rates of use of long-term care services varied by sector and state.  Users of long-term care services varied by sector in their demographic characteristics and functional status.  Hospices, nursing homes, and residential care communities served more persons aged 85 and over, and adult day services centers served more persons under age 65.  Adult day services centers were the most racially and ethnically diverse among the five sectors.