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Hoosiers expect to experience a long-term care event, and more than 3 in 4 want in-home care if it happens

Cost of care could soar to half a million dollars per year by 2050s

17% of Indianapolis adults say they are currently a caregiver – and are sacrificing as a result many caregivers are spending less, working more, and dipping into savings

Indianapolis, October 16, 2025 – As Indianapolis residents live longer, their likelihood of
experiencing a long-term care event is increasing – and more than six in 10 (62%) adults in the
city predict that it will happen to them. Should that occur, a resounding 76% of those in
Indianapolis say they want to remain in their house and receive in-home care – while just 10%
say they would prefer to live in a nursing home.

These are the latest findings from Northwestern Mutual’s 2025 Planning & Progress Study,
which examines the latest attitudes, behaviors and beliefs related to financial planning and
financial security.

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People Want to Stay at Home

Long-term care is the assistance provided to someone who has a chronic condition that is
progressive in nature, gets worse as time goes on and generally has no cure. Someone who
needs long-term care requires supervision because they are unable to perform at least two
activities of daily living, including eating, bathing or showering, getting dressed, using the
bathroom and getting in and out of bed or a chair. Typically, long-term care does not include
medical care or treatment of the underlying illness or injury.

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According to Northwestern Mutual’s 2025 Planning & Progress Study, Indianapolis residents are
right in line with the rest of the country in terms of preferring to age gracefully at home if they
experienced a long-term care event – 76% compared to the nationwide average of 74%.

Most in Indianapolis Expect to Need Care and to Be a Caregiver

More than half (57%) of adults in Indianapolis believe their retirement will last longer than their
parents’ “golden years, and nearly one-third (30%) expect 10 or more extra years in retirement
than their parents.

Perhaps considering their extra longevity, most people in Indianapolis (62%) say it’s likely they’ll
need long-term care services for themselves at some point. A similar proportion (53%) believe
it’s likely they will need to provide these services for a loved one at some point in their life.
According to data from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, they may be right: approximately
half of Americans turning age 65 today will need some type of long-term care in their lives.

Cost of At-Home Care Could Soar to Half a Million

Despite Indianapolis residents wishes to remain at home, the cost of providing long-term carecould make it very difficult. According to the 2024 Illumifin Cost of Care Study, the annual costof a home health aide providing only eight hours of care per day is $96,360. If those costshypothetically increase by just 5% over the coming years, potential out-of-pocket costs couldexceed half a million dollars by the year 2058 – a time when many of today’s working adultsmay need care.

Potential Out-of-Pocket Costs
Hypothetical projection based on annual increase of 5% in long-term care costs provided by a home health aide 8 hours per day.

YearProjected Cost of Care
2025$101,178
2055$437,285
2056$459,150
2057$482,107
2058$506,213
2059$531,523

Many people also think that the costs of long-term care will be completely covered by health
insurance or Medicare—but they're typically not. Medicare pays for doctors, hospitals,
medication and short-term rehab after hospitalization—but not for independent or assisted
living.

To see what care costs are and how much they’re projected to change over time for your area
and across the country, visit https://www.whatcarecosts.com/NorthwesternMutual.

The Impact on Caregivers if Plans are Not Fully Funded

Just under half of Indianapolis residents (44%) have been a caregiver at some point in their life.
Nearly two in ten] people in Indianapolis (17%) say they are currently providing care.
Meanwhile, almost one third of Indianapolis residents (30%) say they have provided care for
someone in the past.

These opportunities to support a loved one in a significant time of need often come with a cost.
Caregivers report having to cut back on spending, raid their personal savings, work more than
expected, accumulate more debt, or even pull from their retirement funds.

For more information about the study, visit https://news.northwesternmutual.com/planning-and-
progress-study-2025.

About the 2025 Northwestern Mutual Planning & Progress Study

The 2025 Planning & Progress Study was conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of
Northwestern Mutual among 4,626 U.S. adults aged 18 or older. The survey was conducted
online between January 2 and January 19, 2025. Data are weighted where necessary by age,
gender, race/ethnicity, region, education, marital status, household size, household income, and
propensity to be online to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population. A
complete survey methodology is available.

About Northwestern Mutual

Northwestern Mutual has been helping people and businesses achieve financial security for more
than 165 years. Through a comprehensive planning approach, Northwestern Mutual combines the
expertise of its financial professionals with a personalized digital experience and industry-leading
products to help its clients plan for what's most important. With nearly $700 billion of total assetsi
being managed across the company’s institutional portfolio as well as retail investment client
portfolios, more than $38 billion in revenues, and $2.4 trillion worth of life insurance protection in
force, Northwestern Mutual delivers financial security to more than five million people with life,
disability income and long-term care insurance, annuities, and brokerage and advisory services.
Northwestern Mutual ranked 109 on the 2025 FORTUNE 500 and was recognized by FORTUNE®
as one of the "World's Most Admired" life insurance companies in 2025.

Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance
Company (NM), Milwaukee, WI (life and disability insurance, annuities, and life insurance with
long-term care benefits) and its subsidiaries. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual
Investment Services, LLC (NMIS)
(investment brokerage services), broker-dealer, registered
investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management
Company® (NMWMC) (investment advisory and services), federal savings bank; and
Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company (NLTC) (long-term care insurance). Not all
Northwestern Mutual representatives are advisors. Only those representatives with "Advisor" in
their title or who otherwise disclose their status as an advisor of NMWMC are credentialed as
NMWMC representatives to provide investment advisory services.

# # #

1 Includes investments and separate account assets of Northwestern Mutual as well as retail investment client assets held or managed by Northwestern Mutual.

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