Here are the latest statistics available from the National Association for Home Care and Hospice:

• Approximately 12 million people in the U.S. require some form of home health care.

• More than 33,000 home health care providers exist today.

• Almost two-thirds (63.8 percent) of home health care recipients are women.

• More than two-thirds (69.1 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 $72.2 billion was projected to be spent on home health care in 2009.

• Medicare is the largest single payer of home care services. In 2009, Medicare spending was approximately 41 percent of the total home health care and hospice expenditure.