All seniors in the U.S. receive Medicare health insurance at age 65 (and those who are disabled may qualify at a younger age). How do you pay for long-term care needs using Medicare’s maximum benefit and other resources? Here is Caregiverlist’s overview of senior care costs and ways to pay.
Caregiverlist Care Cost Index
Senior Home Care: $15 - $25 per hour for hourly care and $150 - $350 per day for 24-hour live-in care. Click here to find a quality Senior Home Care Agency in your area.
Nursing Home Facility: $180 - $400 per day with a variety of additional fees for beauty salon services, special meals and activities. Click here to view Caregiverlist Nursing Home Star Ratings and Costs
Assisted Living Community: $4,000 per month + additional fees for meals, special services and activities + additional cost for private duty caregiver services (see Senior Home Care costs above). Click here to view our Assisted Living Community Checklist.
Continuing Care Retirement Community: $250,000 down payment on average + $4,000 monthly rental fee (possibility of partial down-payment refund depending on length of stay and care needs).
Ways to Pay for Care
Medicare: Reimbursement for up to 100 days in a nursing home per stay
Medicare does not pay for long-term care needs, only short-term care for rehabilitation and recovery in a nursing home. Stays are preapproved by a medical doctor. Click here for an overview of Medicare’s benefits.
Private-pay: If you have money saved to pay for care yourself, you will be able to privately pay for care services in your home or in a senior care community.
Long-term Care Insurance: You may purchase a long-term care insurance policy which does provide payment for care services in a senior’s home or in a nursing facility. Long-term care can be purchased at any age, with pricing connected to your age and health. Click here for an overview of long-term care insurance.
Reverse Mortgage: If you own your home, you may qualify for a reverse mortgage where you will receive a monthly payment which you may use for care services. If your home has significantly increased in value, this may be an option. Reverse mortgages are highly regulated by the government and always include an end date. Click here for an overview of reverse mortgages.
Veteran’s Aid & Attendance Benefit: U.S. Veteran’s of a war will qualify for the Veteran’s Aid & Attendance benefit which will provide for a private caregiver to assist with care needs in the home. Click here for an overview of Veteran’s Aid & Attendance benefit and an application.
Medicaid: Low-income seniors with few assets (usually around $2,000.00), qualify for Medicaid insurance (this kicks in for Medicare – some refer to it as “welfare for seniors). This program is administered by each state and because of this the qualifications and benefits vary by state. Click here to view Medicaid qualifications and benefits in your state.
Senior Care Options