More Young People Residing in Nursing Home Facilities
About 203,000 nursing home residents -- or roughly one in seven residents -- are under age 65, according to an analysis of CMS statistics. The data indicate that the number of residents under age 65 has risen by 22% over the previous eight years. The rise could be partially attributed to the shuttering of mental health facilities and medical advances that have prolonged the lives of younger patients with traumatic injuries, stroke or diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
- "More Young People Are Winding Up in Nursing Homes" (Sedensky, AP/San Diego Union-Tribune, 1/7).