To Get Care, America Makes You Go Broke First

In 1965, Medicare and Medicaid chose nursing homes over your home. Why aging at home got so expensive, and 5 free moves to keep your independence. The three decisions that moved the default, the Medicare myth 45% of seniors believe, and the 30-second chair test you can take tonight. Free help finding local home-care programs: Eldercare Locator, eldercare.acl.gov, 1-800-677-1116 SOURCES Care costs: CareScout (Genworth) 2025 Cost of Care Survey Attitudes and awareness: KFF surveys on long-term care affordability, Medicare expectations and family caregiving (kff.org) Living with grown children, 1900 to 1990: Steven Ruggles, University of Minnesota, census analyses of elderly co-residence Medicare and Medicaid rules: Medicare.gov (skilled nursing facility coverage); Medicaid.gov and MACPAC (mandatory nursing facility vs optional home care); Penn LDI on institutional bias Long-term care insurance: The American Prospect, "The Collapse of Long-Term Care Insurance" (2020); KFF Health News, "Dying Broke" Family caregivers: AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving, Caregiving in the U.S. 2020 Lifetime risk of needing care: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), 2022 Falls and the chair test: CDC Older Adult Falls Facts; CDC STEADI (30-Second Chair Stand, home and medication checklists); National Council on Aging #AgingAtHome #NursingHome #Medicare