Long-term care is the assistance you receive as you age and can no longer take care of all your needs on your own. Not everyone will need long-term care. You may be independent and healthy enough to avoid it as you age.
However, most people will need it at one time in their lives. The cost of this care, though, varies greatly. It typically will depend on how long you need care, what type of care you need and the choices you make about where and how to get care.
Average costs
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, average costs for long-term care services depend on how often you get care, when you receive care, where you live and extra charges you may pay. For example, it will cost more for you to receive private in-home care than to go to a day health care center. You’ll pay more for a live-in facility than you would to receive in-home care for a few hours per day.
Example costs
The average cost for a health aide, who would come to your home to provide care, is a little over $20 an hour. You can easily budget these costs as you can decide how often the worker comes and how long he or she works.
Most long-term care needs require that you live in a facility. For an assisted living facility, which is like an apartment or condo where you live alone and have access to services as you need them, the average monthly cost is about $3,628. Assisted living facilities are the most affordable because you will receive less intensive care from staff and can live more independently.
For a more traditional nursing home where you receive care regularly, the average monthly cost for a semi-private room is $6,844. If you want a private room, the costs jump to about $7,698.