---
title: What would the average American do if they needed long-term care?
description: Poll suggests that Americans who may need care may not have talked to family or considered long-term care insurance.
image: http://s3.amazonaws.com/cdn1.hubspot.com/StockImages/Expressions/IMG_3289.jpg
---

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[Jun 3, 2026

### 6 Tax-Smart Strategies to Fund a Long-Term Care Insurance Policy

](https://www.ltcipartners.com/blog/6-tax-smart-strategies-to-fund-a-long-term-care-insurance-policy)

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Aug 14, 2015 • [LTCI Partners](https://www.ltcipartners.com/blog/author/ltci-partners)

## What would the average American do if they needed long-term care?

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![Expressions-16](http://s3.amazonaws.com/cdn1.hubspot.com/StockImages/Expressions/IMG_3289.jpg)

If you became disabled and needed long-term care, what would you do?

That question was part of a recent survey of over 15,000 Americans aged 40 to 70 conducted for Health and Human Services by RTI.org. The results of the survey can be [found here](http://aspe.hhs.gov/basic-report/findings-survey-long-term-care-awareness-and-planning-research-brief).

One of the most interesting questions in the survey was about what people would do if they needed long-term care. Here are the responses:

![LTC_options](https://www.ltcipartners.com/hs-fs/hubfs/LTC_options.jpg?width=604&name=LTC_options.jpg)

Two things really stand out in the answers.  First, **not many people** want to go to a nursing home. Secondly, there is an assumption that friends and family will be there to help when times are tough.

Will family and friends be there at time of need?  Of course! That's because everyone has talked to their family about long-term care, right?  The survey asked them that very question and here were the results:

![have_had_the_talk](https://www.ltcipartners.com/hs-fs/hubfs/have_had_the_talk.jpg?width=609&name=have_had_the_talk.jpg)

Hmmm.  Looks like a lot of people need to start a discussion. Part of that discussion may include talking about [how to pay for care](https://www.ltcipartners.com/blog/heres-a-mind-map-to-help-decide-how-to-fund-an-ltc-plan) , including long-term care insurance.

[![Check out these NEW great ideas from Genworth on talking to families about  long-term care planning](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/405630/5eb9751c-70d9-4613-88e3-e66a2e62d10d.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/405630/5eb9751c-70d9-4613-88e3-e66a2e62d10d)

 

## Written by [LTCI Partners](https://www.ltcipartners.com/blog/author/ltci-partners)

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