More than half of the US population will require some type of long-term care during their lives—nursing home care, home health care, assisted living facility care, or rehabilitation facility care.

Nearly 5 million people over age 65 have difficulty carrying out daily living activities. As people age, their need for long-term care rises substantially, as shown in the figure below. More than half of people over age 85 need assistance with one or more of their daily living activities.

Women tend to live longer than men, and they are more likely to have a disability that requires long-term care at some point in their lives.

Some conditions that eventually result in a need for long-term care can be hereditary. For example, if one or both of your parents had Alzheimer's disease, you are at greater risk for the disease.

Long-term care can be required for several years or more. Among those who stay in a nursing home for more than three months, nearly one quarter will be there for three or more years.