Many seniors and their family members do not realize that nursing homes care is not covered for ongoing stays by Medicare. This confusion arises because many times a senior will know another senior who is receiving a long-term stay in a nursing home through Medicaid, the program for low-income seniors with few assets. Medicaid will pay for nursing home stays when a senior qualifies for this level of care.
However, perhaps the senior receiving Medicaid benefits is someone who you know had plenty of savings and would not be considered low-income. Here is what happens: seniors can quickly “spend down” to qualify for Medicaid because of the high daily cost of a nursing home stay.
Seniors should plan ahead to understand the costs and ratings of nursing homes in their area to be prepared should a major medical incident occur as many times hospitals will discharge the senior directly to a nursing home for rehabilitation. Below are some examples of the average daily nursing home costs in some states. As you can see, with the daily cost of a nursing home being as much as $300 per day, a senior can quickly burn through their assets to qualify for Medicaid benefits.
Nursing Home Average Daily Costs
Alaska: $666
Arizona: $184
California: $203
Illinois: $158
Louisiana: $133
Massachusetts: $299
Texas: $115
Wisconsin: $197
As these are just an example of the average cost, it is easy to see how a senior can spend-down to qualify for Medicaid, with a monthly stay at a nursing home in California costing $6,090 per month and if a senior lives in Alaska, well, perhaps they can consider moving South as there are less than 10 nursing homes in Alaska and the average cost results in $19,980 per month.
Seniors and their family members may reserach nursing home costs and ratings in the Caregiverlist Nursing Home Directory, the only resource with this trademarked information. As many times hospitals will discharge a senior directly to a nursing home for rehabilitation, families should plan ahead to choose the nursing home they would prefer.
Some seniors prefer to stay at home to receive professional senior care services and pay an hourly rate for senior home care which can range from $18 to $26 per hour, depending on the location, and includes all the necessary liability and worker’s compensation insurance protections and includes payroll taxes as required by law. Seniors may request a care plan to find senior home care agency options in their area and learn about the costs for senior care.
