Each year the MetLife Mature Market Institute
collects survey data on nursing home, assisted living, adult day and home care costs. The
survey contains daily private-pay rates for private and semi-private rooms in licensed
nursing homes, monthly base rates for assisted living communities, hourly rates
for home health aides from licensed agencies and agency provided homemaker
companion services, and daily rates for adult day services.
The report
for 2012 has just been released (November 2012). The survey reveals
steadily increasing prices for institutional care and mixed home care and adult
day care cost increases.
Nursing Homes: For purposes of the survey a nursing home is
a facility which provides residents with a room, meals, personal care, nursing
care, and medical services. National average rates for a private room in a
nursing home increased by 3.8% to $248 daily ($90,520 annually) in 2012.
National average rates for a semi-private room increased by 3.7%, to $222 daily
($81,030 annually) in 2012.
Assisted Living: Assisted living communities provide housing
for those who need help in day-to-day living, but who do not need the
round-the-clock level of skilled nursing care found in nursing homes. Many
communities, however, have nurses on staff and provide health care monitoring. National
average assisted living base rates increased by 2.1%, to $3,550 monthly or
$42,600 annually in 2012.
Home Care Services: This category surveys a diverse variety
of services and providers including custodial and supportive caregivers hired
through an agency, registry, or privately. Home health aides are trained to
provide hands-on care and assistance to people in their homes who need help
with ADLs (bathing, dressing, transferring, eating, toileting, or continence). They
are also able to help with needed tasks such as cooking, shopping, and laundry.
Homemakers or companions provide services that include light housekeeping, meal
preparation, transportation, and companionship. This type of care is often appropriate
for those with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia who may be physically
healthy but require supervision. Homemakers and companions are not trained to
provide hands-on assistance with ADLs such as bathing and dressing. The 2012
national average private-pay hourly rates for home health aides remain
unchanged from 2011 at $21. The average hourly rate for homemakers increased by
$1 (5.3%) to $20 per hour in 2012.
Adult Day Services: Adult day services provide health,
social, and therapeutic activities in a supportive group environment for
individuals with cognitive and/or functional impairments. Some are freestanding
centers or programs; others are affiliated with a facility or organization such
as a nursing home, assisted living community, senior center, or rehabilitation
facility. Adult day services national average daily rates remain unchanged
since 2011 at $70 per day.
Pennsylvania
For Pennsylvania the MetLife report provides average cost of
care figures for three metropolitan areas (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Scranton)
and for the rest of the state. The Pennsylvania average costs for 2012 in the “Rest
of State” category are as follows:
- Nursing Home Semi-Private Room: $266 per day
- Nursing Home Private Room: $280 per day
- Assisted Living: $3,320 per month
- Home Health Aide: $21 per hour
- Adult Day Services: $60 per day
Further Information: