MPIDR Working Paper

Assessing old-age long-term care using the concepts of healthy life expectancy and care duration: the new parameter "Long-Term Care-Free Life-Expectancy (LTCF)"

Abstract

Achieving old ages is also connected with prevalence of illness and long-term care. With the introduction of the statutory long-term care insurance in 1996 and the long-term care statistics in 1999 research data of about 2.3 million people receiving long-term care benefits is available. Average life expectancy can be qualitatively divided into lifetime spent in good health and lifetime spent in long-term care dependence (average care duration). In Germany women’s and men’s average care duration amount 3.6 years respectively 2.1 years.