Costs of Care

Long-term care includes a range of health and support services that you may need as you age or if you have a disability. Most of these services are personal care services, such as bathing and dressing. Family members may be able to provide some or all of these services at no charge. But if your care and support needs increase, you may need paid care in addition to the services that your family members provide, or to give them respite. In addition, if your needs increase to the point where you need services in a facility like a nursing home or assisted living, you may need to plan how to pay for these services.

The cost of long-term care depends on the type and amount of care you need, the provider you use, and where you live. Here are a few examples:

Home health and home care services, provided in two-to-four-hour blocks of time referred to as “visits,” are generally more expensive in the evening, on weekends, and on holidays.
The costs of services in some community programs, such as adult day service programs, are provided at a per-day rate, but vary based on the program’s costs and activities.
Many facility-based programs charge extra for services provided beyond the basic room, food and housekeeping charges, although some may have “all inclusive” fees.

The average costs for long-term care in the United States (in 2010) are:

$205 per day or $6,235 per month for a semi-private room in a nursing home
$229 per day or $6,965 per month for a private room in a nursing home
$3,293 per month for care in an assisted living facility (for a one-bedroom unit)
$21 per hour for a home health aide
$19 per hour for homemaker services
$67 per day for services in an adult day health care center