Home Care, Assisted Living, and Nursing Home Care Costs
Home care costs vary tremendously. It depends on who is giving you the care, how much your family helps and so on. Home care provided through an Agency will usually cost between $15 and $24 per hour. Remember, most people don’t need a nurse. They just need someone to help them bathe, dress, or use the bathroom. Home care provided by an individual, not through an Agency, can cost anywhere from $5 to $15. per hour. The average home care claimant receives 36 hours of formal care that is paid for and 23 hours of unpaid for care provided by family and friends per week.
Assisted Living costs vary almost as much as home care does. Assisted living care costs range from a low of $45,000 to a high of $100,000. Most assisted living facilities have a base price but charge you for each additional service that you need.
Nursing Homes in the northeast are very expensive. Not including New York City or Long Island, the average is between $80,000 to $110,000 per year.
If this all seems a little nuts, it is. And if you think it is bad now, wait until the baby boomers really begin to impact the system. It is completely clear that those with insurance for long term care needs are going to get the care they need because they will be able to afford to pay for it through their long term care insurance plan.
A February 2005 survey by our office has revealed the following nursing home costs:
- Albany area - $252 per day. Range of $220 to $288.
- Berkshire County, MA - $230 per day. Range of $204 to $255.
- Bennington, VT - $212 per day. Range of $188 to $227