Question

{incidence, social insurance} Who provides most of the care for elderly people who need assistance with the daily tasks of living? How do these helpers get paid??

Answer 1

Most of the large multi-facility providers for the elderly people in United States are publicly owned and managed as for-profit businesses. However, the largest operator in the US is the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society which is a not-for-profit organization that manages 6,531 beds in 22 states, according to a 1995 study by the American Health Care Association.

For the elders who prefer to continue to live in their homes, assisted living can be one of the way to get assistance with everyday tasks. It costs less than nursing home care but is still considered expensive for most people. But this home care services may allow seniors to live in their own home for a longer period of time.

Thirty-two states in US pay for care in assisted living facilities through their Medicaid waiver programs.

Then the other section is for the unpaid informal caregivers. A study states that 90% of the caregivers are unpaid informal caregivers (mainly spouses, partners, or children) who provide on average 144 hours of help per month for those with the greatest care needs.

Although publicly and privately paid care continues to be an important source of assistance to older adults with extensive needs, the higher chances of experiencing unmet need for those receiving paid care is cause for concern.