More Older Americans Cared for at Home
July 4, 2016
By Steven Reinberg
But this takes a toll on family members, researchers say.
More older Americans with chronic health problems are opting to live at home, relying on help from family, paid caregivers or friends, a new study finds.
In 2012, half of seniors with a disability had some type of home health care, an increase from 42 percent in 1998, University of Michigan researchers found.
"The majority of seniors would prefer to stay at home rather than go to a nursing home," said Dr. R. Sean Morrison, past president of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.
But the unintended consequence of being cared for at home is the strain it puts on caregivers, added Morrison, who is also with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. He wasn't involved in the study.