WEDNESDAY, April 11 (HealthDay News) -- White women accounted
for the majority of the 733,000 people in the United States who
lived in state-regulated residential care facilities in 2010,
according to a new federal report.
People who live in residential care facilities, also known as
assisted-living communities, receive housing and supportive
services because they can't live independently but generally don't
require the level of care provided in a nursing home.
The U.S. National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
researchers analyzed 2010 nationwide data from residential care
facilities with four or more beds, and found that 91 percent of
residents were white and 70 percent were female. They also found
that more than half of all residents were 85 and older.
Nearly 20 percent of residents had Medicaid, which serves people
who are low-income or disabled, and nearly 60 percent under age 65
were Medicaid beneficiaries, the report said.
About 40 percent of residents received assistance with three or
more activities of daily living, such as help with bathing and
dressing.
More than 75 percent of residents had at least two of the 10
most common health conditions, such as high blood pressure and
Alzheimer's disease, the investigators found.
The complete report, by Christine Caffrey of the NCHS division
of health care statistics, and colleagues, was published in the
April issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention's
NCHS Data Brief.
More information
The American Geriatric Society Foundation for Health in Aging
has more about
assisted living.