The national average for a nursing home stay is slightly less than 1 year. Half of all nursing home stays last 3 months or less. Consider the following facts when deciding whether you need to purchase a policy. Single people are more at risk because they are not living with someone who can provide care. The likelihood of a stay in a nursing home increases when family members live too far away to give regular assistance.
Women are more at risk because they tend to outlive their spouses.
They have a 13 percent chance of spending 5 years or more in a nursing home while their husbands have a 4 percent chance. Approximately one-third of nursing home bills are paid by individuals and their families. Neither Medicare, Medigap insurance, or other health insurance you may have will pay much, if anything, for long-term care. Medicare pays for about 8 percent of all nursing home costs, but only by providing coverage for skilled nursing care following hospitalization. It pays for the first 20 days of approved skilled care coverage in a Medicare-certified facility.