Price rollbacks throughout much of the U.S. economy during the past year didn't apply to long-term care service providers, according to the 2009 MetLife Markety Survey of Nursing Home Assisted Living, Adult Day Services, and Home Care Costs.
Private room nursing home rates increased 3.3 percent to $219 per day, or $79,935 annually. Assisted living costs increased an average of 3.3 percent to $3,131 per month. Home health care aides now cost an average of $21 per hour, a 5 percent increase. Adult day services average $67 per day, up 4.7 percent.
The study, which groups assisted living communities into three categories - basic, with five or fewer services; standard, with six to nine services, and inclusive, with 10 or more services - found more are classified in the standard range and fewer in the basic range than last year.
The report also notes that those who enter an assisted living community with Alzheimer's disease, or who develop it later, can expect to pay more for that care, with the average annual increased cost being $4,435.
"These across-the-board increases may be surprising to many given the economy over the past year," said Sandra Timmermann, Ed.D., director of the MetLife Mature Market Institute. "But, while the Consumer Price Index decreased overall during the past year, costs for medical care are 3.3 percent higher, which parallels our findings on long-term care. The change in pricing methods at some assisted living communities may be another factor, a warning to consumers to carefully compare prices at all long-term care service facilities by considering both the base price and the add-ins for additional services."
If you would like additional FREE information on planning for your family long-term care needs, please phone 1-800 4 SENIORS to order your "Too Close for Comfort" booklet, a guide outlining intergenerational lifestyles.
Please reference the MetLife Mature Market at www.metlife.com for more details.
