Verified figures on older adults, family caregiving, falls, and home care. Updated for families, writers, and community organizations looking for a clear starting point.
Last updated: October 9, 2026
Maintained by OPA Home Care.
Home care decisions are usually personal, but they take place within larger changes: an aging population, more family caregiving, and growing pressure to help people remain safely connected to home and community. The statistics below bring together recent, public data from government agencies and established national research organizations.
Each figure links directly to its original source. Data years vary because public reports are released on different schedules.
61.2 million
The U.S. population age 65 and older grew 3.1% from 2023 to 2024, while the population under 18 declined slightly.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, June 2025Source accessed October 9, 2026.
Over 20%
Georgia DHS projects that more than 20% of Georgia residents will be age 60 or older by 2030. It also projects almost 34% growth in that age group from 2012 to 2030. The share and the growth measure are different figures.
Source: Georgia Department of Human Services, March 2025Source accessed October 9, 2026.
28%
Living arrangements affect how families think about check-ins, transportation, meals, household routines, and a plan for sudden changes.
Source: Administration for Community Living, 2023 Profile of Older AmericansSource accessed October 9, 2026.
27.6%
CDC estimates 14 million older adults reported a fall. This is approximately one in four; the percentage is age-adjusted and comes from the 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
Source: CDC MMWR, Nonfatal and Fatal Falls Among Adults Aged 65 or Older, August 2023, Table 1Source accessed October 9, 2026.
21%
The age-adjusted rate rose from 64.7 fall deaths per 100,000 older adults in 2018 to 78.4 in 2024. CDC reports this comparison using National Vital Statistics System mortality data in CDC WONDER.
Source: CDC WONDER, Underlying Cause of Death, 2018–2024Read CDC’s published rate comparison
Source accessed October 9, 2026.
$169.4 billion
CMS reported that spending for services delivered by freestanding home health care agencies rose 10.2% in 2024.
Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, National Health Expenditures 2024 Highlights, page 2Source accessed October 9, 2026.
63 million
The study includes caregivers of adults and children with a medical condition or disability; 59 million cared for an adult.
Source: AARP, Caregiving in the U.S. 2025Source accessed October 9, 2026.
29%
These sandwich-generation caregivers are balancing support for more than one generation, often alongside work and household responsibilities.
Source: AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving, July 2025Source accessed October 9, 2026.
40%+
The national report links this level of care with substantial daily responsibilities and complex tasks, which can make dependable support and clear coordination especially important.
Source: AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving, July 2025Source accessed October 9, 2026.
49.5 billion
AARP estimates that 59 million caregivers of adults provided this care, nearly all without pay. Its 2026 update values their contribution at $1.01 trillion.
Source: AARP, Valuing the Invaluable 2026Source accessed October 9, 2026.
The statistics do not tell any one family what support is right. They do show why care plans often need more than a single conversation. A growing older population, the number of people living alone, and the scale of family caregiving all make it useful to think ahead about routines, backup support, safety, and communication.
For many families, the practical question is not whether a loved one can do everything alone or needs a complete change in living situation. It is where dependable help can make the biggest difference now, whether that is a safer return home after a hospital stay, help with everyday routines, a planned break for family caregivers, or more consistent presence at home.
OPA Home Care supports families across North Georgia with personal care, short-term recovery support, live-in care, and skilled nursing at home.
This page uses named public sources rather than estimates created by OPA Home Care. Every statistic above identifies its source and the latest available reporting date used here.
Primary public sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Georgia Department of Human Services, Administration for Community Living, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
National research sources: AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving's Caregiving in the U.S. 2025, plus AARP's Valuing the Invaluable 2026 update.
Update cadence: Reviewed monthly for new source releases and refreshed sooner when a key public figure changes.
OPA Home Care. “Home Care and Aging in Place Statistics.” Updated October 9, 2026. Accessed October 9, 2026.
When quoting a figure, please link to the individual source listed with that statistic.
