The High Cost of Long-Term Care Can Lead More People Home

People are aware of the increasing cost of long-term care in the United States. However, as the cost of numerous types of long-term care continues to increase, it’s leading people to evaluate their options. Currently, the average cost of a private room in a nursing home is $100,375 every year. For basic adult day care services, it will cost approximately $18,720 per year.

While most people may not require nursing home care for most of their life, there may come a time when it seems almost a necessity. At that point, though, who can truly afford this type of long-term care?

This simple question is helping lead more people to home care options. Learning directly about the impact that cost is having on decisions about long-term care can help others understand what they may face, even though they might not think about it at this time.

According to one letter written to a reporter and published (along with several others) by the Washington Post in the blog, Here’s what it’s like dealing with the high cost of long-term care, written by columnist Michelle Singletary, they said:

““I managed the care of my mother (who had Alzheimer’s disease) from 1998 through 2006,” wrote Debbie Trice of Sarasota, Fla. “Even that long ago, the cost of her care approached $100,000 annually once she had to move from an assisted-living facility to a skilled nursing facility. The actual cost of long-term care goes way beyond the monthly or daily facility charges. Personal expenses (e.g., adult diapers, toiletries, laundry, haircuts) can be significant. I saved some money by purchasing diapers from a wholesaler and toiletries from a discount store and doing mother’s laundry myself. Medications cost more for residents in long-term care, too. Some states require that all medication, including over-the-counter items like aspirin and vitamins, be specially packaged by a pharmacist in blister packs — at extra cost, of course. Staffing is a critical issue. To keep their rates competitive, many facilities limit their staffing levels to the minimum required by law. But then some patients’ needs can’t be adequately addressed. I found it necessary to hire private duty aides to supplement facility staff for a few hours each day.”

There are numerous factors that go into the cost of caring for an aging parent, grandparent, or other individual in one’s family. The more people understand about these cost factors, the more likely they will be to seek other, more reasonably affordable options, like home care support services.

Even for those seniors diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, home care is not only the most affordable option, it also allows those men and women to remain where they are most comfortable: at home.