The Cost of Long-Term Care Increased in 2017 – Are You Prepared?

The cost of nursing home care in 2017 is $97,455 a year for a private room, according to a recent study by Genworth.

While most Americans assume Medicaid and Medicare will pay for most of long-term care services, there are restrictions you may not be aware of without the help of an elder law attorney. For example, most states won’t let you have more than $2,000 in assets ($3,000 for a couple) if you wish to be eligible for Medicaid.

In this blog post, we will explain why the cost of long-term care increased in 2017 and why this trend is expected to continue. For information on asset protection and planning for long-term care, we recommend contacting a Medicaid law attorney near you.

NURSING HOME CARE

$8,121 per month | $97,455 per year (for a private room)

5.50% increase from 2016

It takes more time, effort, and staff to provide services for people who need round-the-clock care and supervision. As a result, nursing home care is the most expensive of long-term care services. Nursing home care includes room and board, medication management, physical therapy, occupational therapy, 24-hour nursing care, and more.

Gordon Saunders, Senior Brand Manager at Genworth, believes that nursing home costs may have increased because hospitals discharge patients sooner than they did several years ago. As a result, elderly people may have to spend more time in nursing homes while they recover.

ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES

$3,750 per month | $45,000 per year (for a private, one-bedroom unit)

3.36% increase from 2016

While assisted living facilities typically don’t offer nursing care, they offer plenty of other services to help you or a loved one with daily living needs. An assisted living facility can be a good choice for people who have difficulty bathing, toileting, eating, and dressing by themselves. An assisted living facility will also offer opportunities for residents to socialize, which helps improve mood and lowers risk of loneliness and depression.

HOME HEALTH AIDE SERVICES

$4,099 per month | $49,192 per year (based on 44 hours a week)

6.17% increase from 2016

Home health aides offer assistance with eating, bathing, toileting, dressing, and other daily living needs. Like the name suggests, home health aides work in you or your loved one’s home, which is one reason why it costs less than nursing home care. Home health aides typically work 44 hours a week, which also costs less than what round-the-clock care in a nursing home would cost.

HOMEMAKER SERVICES

$3,994 per month | $47,943 per year (based on 44 hours a week)

4.75% increase from 2016

Homemaker services help you or your loved one with housework like cleaning, cooking, running small errands, and doing laundry. As people get older, they may be too tired or lack the mobility to keep up with maintaining a household. If this is the case, you may be interested in looking into homemaker services so you can stay in your home for as long as possible.

COMMUNITY-BASED ADULT DAY HEALTH CARE FACILITIES

$1,517 per month | $18,200 per year (based on services 5 days a week)

2.94% increase from 2016

Community-based adult day health care facilities essentially provide adult daycare services while caregivers work or run errands. If you are the caregiver for an aging parent, we recommend looking into community-based adult day health care facilities. These types of facilities offer group activities and supervision.

The West Michigan elder law attorneys at the Law Offices of Sean Patrick Cox PLLC are dedicated to making sure you have a financial plan for retirement. If you are interested in learning about our estate planning or nursing home planning services, call us to schedule your free legal consultation. We are proud to serve Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo.