Getting older isn't easy for many people, especially when it means possibly having to leave their home for a long-term care facility. However, those wishing to live independently stand to get some extra financial assistance to do so.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is giving $2.25 billion in grants to help people go from a nursing home to their own home or small group setting. Currently, 29 states and the District of Columbia have "Money Follows the Person" programs, which are meant to help states manage their long-term care systems.

"The Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration has been critical to our efforts to deliver on the promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act and expand access to community living services," said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

Many people end up living in a nursing home because of health conditions. A 2004 survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that there were over 16,000 nursing homes in the country. At that time, approximately 1.5 million people made those facilities their home.