Most Americans (84%) have had at least some experience with nursing homes – either as a patient or a visitor. In addition, nearly seven in ten (68%) have a family member or close friend who has been in a nursing home or received long-term care in the past 3 years.
Views On Nursing Homes
Compared with other players in the health care industry, nursing homes rank relatively low in the share of adults who say they are doing a “good job” serving health care consumers. While majorities say nurses (84%), doctors (69%), and hospitals (64%) do a “good job” serving consumers, nursing homes (35%) rank below pharmaceutical companies (43%) and just above health insurance companies (34%) and HMOs (30%).
Views on the affordability and quality of nursing home care are mixed. While more than half (55%) of the public agrees that nursing homes provide an affordable way for people to get round-the-clock care, nearly four in ten (37%) disagree. Similarly, while half (50%)of the public agree that nursing homes provide high-quality services, four in ten (40%) disagree. The vast majority of adults (86%) are concerned about the quality of nursing home care available in the country today. In addition, nine in ten (92%) express concern about the quality of care provided to seniors and those with disabilities who receive care in these homes.
Indeed, the public is somewhat wary of nursing home care – twice as many adults say being in a nursing home makes people “worse off” than they were before (41%) as say that nursing homes make people “better off” (19%). Furthermore, when asked their preference if they required long-term care, just 4% would choose to get care in a nursing home (4%) and 17% would choose an assisted living facility. Most (53%) would opt for care at home, while 21% would prefer to move in with family.
While most Americans agree that nursing home staff members are concerned about the well-being of their patients (67%), many believe nursing homes are understaffed (75%) and have staff that are often poorly trained (63%).
Paying for Long-Term Care
In terms of paying for long-term care, three in ten (30%) adults believe insurance would be the main source of funds if they or a family member needed nursing home care. Fewer say personal savings (16%) or government programs such as Medicare or Medicaid (13%) would be the main source. In reality, private insurance is estimated to pay for a small share of nursing home expenses (8%), while Medicaid (46%) is the major source of financing for nursing home care.
Few Americans report having long-term care insurance - just over two in ten (21%) adults say they have a long-term care policy. The most commonly cited reason among those without a policy is cost (59%). However, nearly one-third (32%) of people without long-term care insurance say it’s just not something they’ve ever thought about.
There is a fair amount of concern about paying for long-term care, with nearly three in ten (28%) adults saying they are “very” worried that they won’t be able to pay for nursing home and home care services in the future. Just over one-quarter (26%) of adults say they have given “a lot” of thought to how they will pay for long-term care, and this share increases with age.
Government’s Role In Long-Term Care
Americans see a role for government in regulating nursing home quality. About six in ten (64%) adults agree that there is not enough government regulation of the quality of nursing homes and almost half (48%) said nursing homes are not paid enough by the government and other insurers.
Sources of Information About Nursing Homes
Many Americans are unsure of where to get advice and information about nursing homes – 57% say they would not know where to go for advice or information if a family member needed nursing home care.The public seems most comfortable getting information and advice about nursing home care from personal sources. Many more say they would be “very likely” to go to friends and family (59%) or their doctor (54%) for information, compared with government websites (27%), community service agencies (25%), books/reports (25%) or government programs (23%).
