Rhode Island is The Ocean State. And although it’s a beautiful state, with hundreds of miles of coastline, picture-perfect New England towns, and home to venerable ivy league Brown University, Wallethub recently cited the state of Rhode Island dead-last in the nation if you’re looking for a permanent and affordable place to retire.
Rhode Island doesn’t have the most expensive nursing homes in New England; that title goes to neighboring Connecticut. Rhode Island is the 10th costliest state in the nation for nursing home costs. The average annual price of a double room is $94,170 or $7,847 per month. However, you’ll find many quality nursing homes in Rhode Island. Over half of the state’s 87 nursing homes are rated 4 stars or better (out of 5 stars.)
Here’s a snapshot of the Caregiverlist® Nursing Home Index for Rhode Island for August 2016
Total Number of Nursing Homes: 87
Average Single Price: $288
Average Double Price: $258
Star Rating Snapshot:
5-Star: 7
4-Star: 47
3-Star: 27
2-Star: 3
1-Star: 3
Average Rating: 3.2
You can also see Rhode Island nursing home costs at-a-glance with our Rhode Island Nursing Home Cost infographic.
Which is the Rhode Island nursing home with the highest overall Caregiverlist star rating? The Rhode Island nursing home with the highest Caregiverlist® rating is privately-owned Briarcliffe Manor in Johnston, Rhode Island, which scores 4.6 out of 5 stars, no mean feat for a facility with 122 beds. The cost of rooms at Briarcliffe are slightly higher than the average Rhode Island nursing home — $325 and $300 for single and double rooms respectively (and certainly not the costliest in the state) but in this case, you may get what you pay for. And what is it that you get? I spoke with owner/administrator Akshay Talwar JD, CPA, LLM, who lives on the campus alongside his senior residents. “I think much of our success is due to ownership presence,” says Mr. Talwar. “We are deeply vested in the quality of care and we have a personal connection with those for whom we provide long-term care.” Another factor in the success of Briarcliffe Manor, according to Mr. Talwar, is his staff. Some key supervisors and managers have been at Briarcliffe for as long as 20 years.
Senior care costs, especially those incurred by long-term nursing home stay, is something most people don’t think about until it’s too late, usually after the Medicare-paid first 100 days of post-hospital rehabilitation. A good place for families to begin anticipating future costs is by talking to a professional and coming up with a financial action plan. Seniors and their family caregivers can also research nursing home costs and ratings in any state nationwide through the Caregiverlist Nursing Home Directory, the only resource with this trademarked information.
