Univita Health has released the results of a national study that identifies nationwide costs associated with home healthcare, assisted living facilities and skilled nursing facilities.
“The Cost of Care report was developed to provide valuable insight into the costs associated with long-term care,” said Hugh Lytle, president and CEO of Univita. “Studies have shown that the vast majority of people of retirement age wish to remain in their homes indefinitely, and our annual study reiterates that staying at home is a financially viable option.”
The Scottsdale, Ariz.-based organization, which focuses on providing a full range of services and support needed to enable a home-centered approach to independent aging, surveyed more than 6,000 nursing homes, assisted living facilities and home healthcare agencies between April and May of 2010.
Rates obtained included private pay rates for single occupancy rooms in Medicare-certified skilled nursing facilities, hourly rates for home health aides for Medicare-certified and non-certified home healthcare agencies, and monthly rates for assisted living facilities.
The national average for annual cost of a private room in a Medicare-certified skilled nursing facility for all regions surveyed in the study is $90,155. The average daily rate for a single-occupancy, private room in a Medicare-certified skilled nursing facility is $247.
Other findings include:
- The average monthly rate for a private, single-occupancy room in an assisted living facility is $3,294.67 per month.
- The average monthly rate for a semi-private room in an assisted living facility is $2,025.28 per month.
- The national average hourly rate for home health aides provided by a certified Home Healthcare Agency is $22.14 per hour.
- The national average hourly rate for a home health aide provided by a non-certified home healthcare agency is $18.41 per hour.