By 2025, close to 20 percent of the population will be age 65 and over. Over 12 percent of the population willbe over 85. Approximately 220 persons per 1,000 over the age of 85 reside in nursing facilities. As the size of the over- 85 group increases, the need for nursing facility beds will also increase. Additional interest in the future of long term care is driven by the rapidly rising expenditures for nursing facility care.
Factors associated with facility costs are ownership and size of the facility.
Data was collected on 403 individual skilled and intermediate care facilities in Missouri. These facilities represent 90 percent of the 448 Medicaid certified facilities in the state. Data were obtained from 1993 cost reports. The authors recommend further study incorporating such factors as location, occupancy rate, and case mix. Holden, Karen, Timothy McBride, and Maria Perozek.