What Level of Long-Term Services and Supports Do Retirees Need?

The brief’s key findings are:

• Many retirees are concerned about the risk of requiring substantial long-term care as they age, but the likelihood is unclear.
• This analysis, using two decades of data from the Health and Retirement Study, classifies the severity of care needs, accounting for both intensity and duration.
• The results suggest about one-fifth of retirees will need no support at all and about one-quarter will have severe needs, with the rest facing low to moderate needs.
• The demographic patterns are as expected: those who are married, better educated, white, or in better health have more manageable needs.
• Subsequent briefs will explore the resources available to meet care needs and the types of people most at risk of facing unmet needs.