Why is nursing home planning necessary?

The average life expectancy in the U.S. has almost doubled in the last century. Living longer is certainly good news; however, the longer you live, the greater your odds of needing long-term care.  The lifetime probability of becoming disabled in at least two activities of daily living or of being cognitively impaired is 68 percent for people age 65 and older. Of those who do become disabled or cognitively impaired, about 40 percent will need nursing home care. Given the importance of the care you receive and the cost of that care, planning for the possibility that you will need to enter a nursing home at some point in the future makes sense.