Due to advances in our medical technology, our society has been blessed with an increasing average life span. Today, we are living almost twice as long as our ancestors did only 100 years ago. Unfortunately, along with this comes the drawback that the longer we live, the more likely we may need long-term care before we die.

This section addresses the risks of needing long-term care as well as the average length of time that people may need long-term care. It also covers how our aging population increases the need for long-term care and how families are not equipped to handle their needs.