Tom Murphy
RedwoodAge.com
The cost of adult day care services vary wildly across the country, but rose an average of 5 percent last year, far outstripping the rise in Social Security increases, according to a national survey.
Adult day services range from a high of $141 a day in Vermont to only $27 a day in the Montgomery, Ala., area, according to the survey conducted by the MetLife Mature Market Institute, the insurance company's 10-year-old center that studies aging issues.
The group also reported a 5 percent rise in the cost of home health aides, with the average hourly rate rising to $20 from $19 a year ago. The rate for a home companion, a position that requires fewer skills, was unchanged at $18.
The lowest rates for both home care categories was in the Shreveport, La., area, where the average wage was $12 an hour. The highest rate for home health aides was in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, where it was $28 an hour.
The highest rate for home companions was in Rochester, Minn., at $26.
The rates are already a burden to elders and to boomers taking care of aging parents. But they're likely to jump much higher as the 77 million boomers, who are now 44-62 years old, move into their senior years and start ramping up demand for such services from a smaller number of younger Americans.
Concerns about nursing homes are part of what is driving the increased interest in alternative types of care. Not only are nursing homes more expensive - typically two to three times as much as day care - but the care levels at many fail to meet standards. The Department of Health and Human services reported that 94 percent of nursing homes had been cited for some sort of violation, and that 17 percent of the nursing homes had infractions that could be harmful to patients.
The rising costs are complicating the art of retirement planning for tens of millions of people, according to a separate survey by Prudential Financial, which like MetLife, sells financial planning products and services.
Fast-growing
"We are closely watching
this data and the trends in this industry as new adult day centers are opening
in virtually all parts of the country "
said Sandra Timmermann, the MetLife institute's director.
The National Adult Day Services Association estimates there are more than 3,500 centers nationwide serving 150,000 people who otherwise might seek more costly services in their homes or through nursing homes. Centers often provide activities, meals and personal care in addition to supervision.
"They also allow people to continue to live in their homes while giving their caregivers the time during the day to work or take a few hours off and they provide socialization for the care recipient," noted Timmermann, who stressed the need for aging Americans to consider these costs while planning for retirement.
