The duration and level of long-term care will vary from person to person and often change over time. Here are some statistics (all are “on average”) you should consider:

• Someone who is 65 today will need some type of long-term care services and support for three years.
• Women need care longer (3.7 years) than men (2.2 years).
• One-third of today’s 65 year-olds may never need long-term care support, but 20 percent will need it for longer than 5 years.

The table below shows that, overall, more people use long-term care services at home (and for longer) than in facilities: