According to the National Association for Home Care:

• Approximately 7.6 million people in the US require some form of home health care.

• More than 20,000 home health care providers exist today.

• Almost two-thirds (62.3 percent) of home health care recipients are women.

• More than two-thirds (68.6 percent) of home health care recipients are over age 65.

• Conditions requiring home health care most frequently include diabetes, heart failure, chronic ulcer of the skin, osteoarthritis, and hypertension.

• Approximately 41.3 billion dollars was projected to be spent on home health care in 2001.

• Medicare is the largest single payer of home care services. In 1999, Medicare spending was approximately 26 percent of the total home health care expenditure.