Trends in the Supply of Long-Term-Care Facilities and Beds in the United States

This article examined trends in the supply of institutional long-term-care facilities and beds in states and the United States. Using primary data collected from surveys of state officials, the authors found that licensed nursing home beds increased by 7%, residential care and assisted living beds increased by 97%, and intermediate care facility beds for the mentally retarded and developmentally disabled (ICF-MR/DD) declined by 27% between 1990 and 2002. The total growth in long-term-care beds per 10,000 population was 7.8% during the period, with wide variations in supply among states (ranging from 171 beds per 10,000 in Nebraska to 45.1 beds per 10,000 in Nevada in 2002). Nursing home bed growth may have slowed and ICF-MR/DD beds per population may have declined because of the growth in residential care and assisted living facilities and home and community-based services.