PAYER SOURCE FOR SINGLE, ELDERLY WOMEN IN NURSING HOMES

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Health Economics
• Sociology of Health

Background:

• Nursing home care represents a significant financial burden for elderly individuals.
• Understanding payer sources is crucial for financial planning and policy development.
• Previous research has not fully elucidated payer source disparities among elderly women in nursing homes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the primary payer sources for elderly women residing in nursing homes.
• To investigate whether marital status influences the payer source for elderly women.
• To provide insights for future financial preparedness for long-term care.

Main Methods:

• Secondary data analysis of the 2004 National Nursing Home Survey.
• Extraction and analysis of demographic and payer source information.
• Statistical examination of payer sources based on marital status.

Main Results:

• Self-pay and Medicaid were identified as the predominant payer sources for elderly women in nursing homes.
• Marital status did not demonstrate a significant impact on the payer source utilized by elderly women.
• No significant difference was found in payer sources between single and married elderly women.

Conclusions:

• Financial planning for nursing home care should consider self-pay and Medicaid as primary sources.
• Policy interventions may be needed to address potential financial vulnerabilities regardless of marital status.
• Future research should continue to examine payer source trends in long-term care.