Disabled elders' out-of-pocket home care expenses: Examining financial burden

Questions regarding the extent to which home care expenses are financially burdensome for disabled elders and who is most at risk of financial burden were examined using data from the 1989 National Long-Term Care Survey. Three of the four definitions of financial burden (expenditures relative to ability to pay) suggest that fewer than 11.2 percent of home care users have burdensome costs. Potential public and/or private options for protecting consumers at risk of burdensome home care costs are discussed. Discussion of how to understand home care financial burden focuses on current expectations and policy issues regarding the use of household income, assets, and home equity to pay for long-term care.