The Answer [posted August 2006]

The statement
"Most people will never reside in a nursing home"
is True

Discussion:
Based on the best study available on this subject. The study looks at people at age 65, and projects their odds of needing nursing home care. The authors of the study are Kemper and Murtaugh - see their report in the New England Journal of Medicine (1991).

As shown in the following table, 57% of 65-year-olds are projected to never spend a day as a resident of a nursing home.

The projections are quite different between men and women: 1 out of 3 men, and 1 out of 2 women, are projected to use nursing home care. Why the difference? Two principal factors: women live longer; and wives (healthier longer) are more often caregivers for their husbands.

These are, of course, general odds - for the "average 65-year-old." An individual's odds of needing nursing home care depends on the person's age, health, lifestyle, availability of caregivers, ability to afford home care, and other factors.

This information came from our class series. See our class listing.