This brief describes when and how older adults rely on their families for care, and when they turn to paid care at home or in congregate settings. It presents near-term estimates and projections of care needs, care networks, and paid care use both annually at various point in time and cumulatively from age 51 through death. People with denser care networks receive more unpaid care, while people with less dense networks are more likely to go without care or turn to assisted living. For many people, care networks and care choices evolve with age and increasing significance of long-term services and supports (LTSS) needs.
