Annual Long-Term Care Survey Finds Steep Rise in Home Health Aide Costs

All long-term care costs rose sharply in 2021, but home health aides costs increased the most, according to Genworth’s latest annual Cost of Care Survey. The across-the-board rises were due in part to increased costs brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
In the past year, home health aides (who provide hands on personal care, but not medical care) rates increased 12.5% to a national median annual cost of $61,776, while the median annual rate for the services of a homemaker (who provide household services such as cleaning and cooking) increased by 10.64% to $59,488.
In regards to assisted living facility rates, they grew by 4.65% for a median cost of $54,000 per year or $4,500 per month. Genworth also reports that the median cost of a private nursing home room rose 2.41% to $108,405 and the median cost of a semi-private room in a nursing home is now $94,900, up 1.96% from 2020.
In response to last year’s price increases, Genworth conducted a follow-up study to understand how COVID-19 is impacting the cost of care. Genworth found that labor shortages, personal protective equipment costs, regulatory changes, employee recruitment and retention, wage pressure, and supply and demand were contributing to rate rises.
Alaska continues to be the costliest state for nursing home care by far, with the median annual cost of a private nursing home room totaling $378,140. Missouri was the most affordable state, with a median annual cost of a private nursing home room of $71,175. In California, the median annual cost of a private room is $146,004 and the cost of a semi- private room is $117,528.
The 2021 survey, conducted by CareScout for the 18th straight year, was based on responses from 14,698 nursing homes, assisted living facilities, adult day health facilities and home care providers.
As the survey indicates, long-term care is growing ever more expensive. Contact our office to learn how you can protect some or all of your family’s assets from being devastated by these rising costs.
For more information please contact the Law Office of Sean D. Ethington at (661)295-4604 or visit our website at www.ElderLawSite.com.