How Do Expectations about Future Use of Long-Term Supports and Services Vary by Current Living Arrangement?

Carrie Henning-Smith, University of Minnesota
Tetyana Shippee, University of Minnesota

Given the aging population, it is increasingly important to understand the expectations of middle-aged adults around future long-term supports and services (LTSS) use. Using national data, we examine expectations around future LTSS use among adults ages 40-65 and how these expectations vary by current living arrangement. We find differences by living arrangement both in expectations about needing LTSS in the future and in expectations about who would provide such care. For the entire sample, we find a disconnect between expectations of use and reality: 60 percent of respondents think it is unlikely that they will need LTSS in the future, whereas current evidence suggests that nearly 70 percent of older adults will need LTSS at some point. Policies and programs designed to help individuals plan for future care needs should take current living arrangement into account in order to understand how decision-making and planning vary among middle-aged adults.