LTC Choices Often A Mystery

Few adults know much about long term care options or costs, an elder care company reports.

Home Instead Inc., Omaha, Neb., has based that conclusion on a survey of 166 people ages 65 to 75 who were not using senior care, and a second survey of 444 adults ages 35 to 64 whose parents were still living independently.

Asked to identify the living options available to seniors who can no longer care for themselves, 61% of the seniors named nursing homes, and 50% identified assisted-living facilities as an alternative.

But only 48% of the adult children could identify nursing homes as an option, and only 38% listed assisting living facilities as a possibility.

About 42% of the seniors surveyed said they were familiar with such options as independent living communities and in-home care.