People under age 65 are a growing portion of the long-stay nursing home population, increasing from 10.6% of the nursing home census in 2000 to 16.2% in 2017. (The study defines a long-stay resident as a person residing in a nursing facility for 60 days or more.) In contrast to older residents, younger residents are more likely to be Black or Hispanic and male, to have severe mental illness, and to reside in a for-profit and poorer quality nursing home (as identified by lower overall star ratings in the federal Five-Star Quality Rating System).
People older than 65 had lower and declining rates of nursing home placement in the 2013-2019 study period.
The researchers make multiple recommendations for policies to direct and transition younger people with disabilities from nursing homes.
- For more information, see Ari Ne’eman, Michael Stein, David C. Grabowski, “Nursing Home Residents Younger Than Age Sixty-Five Are Unique And Would Benefit From Targeted Policy Making,” Health Affairs (Oct. 2022), https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2022.00548
October 27, 2022 – T. Edelman