Although most nursing home residents are over the age of 70, some are as young as two years of age. Every nursing home resident has one or more disabilities. Not all require the services of nurses on a daily or even weekly basis.

Many people live in nursing homes only because they have no other choice. Medicaid does not, for the most part, fund home health services. Medicaid funds institutions.

National average annual cost to taxpayers of housing one aging and/or disabled American in a nursing home: $40,784.