HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - A new report predicts a major increase in demand for home care for older Connecticut residents and people with disabilities.

The analysis was conducted by Mercer Human Services Consulting , a firm retained by the Department of Social Services to help plan for future Medicaid-funded services. It projects the growing demand for alternatives to institutional care will lead to excess capacity in nursing homes, reducing need by nearly 6,000 beds by 2040.

Office of Policy and Management Secretary Melissa McCaw says Connecticut has been “moving in the right direction on long-term care for a number of years,” including various Medicaid-funded services to help people live at home.

McCaw says the state must “continue to adapt” and make sure policies also address excess capacity at nursing facilities, which will still be needed.

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