Consumer prices are down from last year, but costs for long term care continue to rise.
According to the "2009 MetLife Market Survey of Nursing Home, Assisted Living, Adult Day Services, and Home Care Costs," long term care service providers have raised prices across the board from 2008 to 2009.
Private room nursing home rates rose 3.3 percent to $219 per day or $79,935 per year, while assisted living also rose 3.3 percent on average to $3,131 per month. Home health care aides now cost an average of $21 per hour, a 5 percent increase; adult day services run $67 per day, a 4.7 percent increase.
"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 (CPI) 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."
The price index is down 1.3 percent from a year ago, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The Associated Press reports house health care legislation expected within days is likely to include a new long-term care insurance program to help seniors and disabled people stay out of nursing homes.
According to the survey, for nursing homes, the highest costs for a private room were reported in Alaska ($584/day) while the lowest were in Louisiana, Rest of State ($132/day). Assisted Living costs were highest in Wilmington, Del.($5,219/month) and lowest in North Dakota ($2,041/month). The highest Home Health Care Aide rates were $30 per hour in the Rochester, Minn. area, while the lowest were reported in the Shreveport, La. area at $13 per hour. Adult Day Services were highest in Vermont at $150 per day and lowest in Montgomery, Ala. at $27 per day.
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