2010 Long Term Care Costs

Long term care in America has been a growing concern for millions of adults and aging baby boomers these days. Its cost poses tremendous threats to the person's health and finance as well. Seven in ten Americans believe they will need long term care services in the future.

According to study conducted by Prudential Life, the costs of care rose to 2% to 14% (depending on the type of care) over the past two years. However, the price soared rapidly in 2010 with 14% from 2008 and 47% from 2004. It is also said that as home health care becomes more preferred, then the costs start to increase to meet the demands.

Below is an overview of long term care costs by state based on the type of care:

Home Health Care
Here are the average hourly rates for home health care as of 2010

Alaska - $32
Wyoming - $31
Connecticut - $27
Colorado - $27
Oregon - $27
Utah - $26
Rhode Island - $26
Mississippi - $26
Minnesota - $25
California - $25
Texas - $12
Louisiana - $15
Missouri - $15
Alabama - $16
Arizona - $16
Washington - $17
Arkansas - $18
Hawaii - $18
Florida - $18
South Carolina - $18
Missouri - $18

The national average hourly rate for home health aide is $21, or 4168 daily - this rate has remained constant since 2008. However, the hourly rates for private licensed practical nurses have soared to $17% since 2008.

Assisted Living Facility

The national average monthly cost for assisted living is $2,930 per month or $36, 160 annually. Its rate has increased 2% in the past two years, much lower than any other types of care.

Here are the annual monthly costs for assisted living facility as of 2010:
Delaware - $ 63,000
Maine - $58,400
Connecticut - $54,000
Massachusetts - $48,300
Illinois - $46,600
New Hampshire - $45,600
Alaska - $43,360
Hawaii - $42,000
New Jersey - $40,400
Vermont -$40,300
Indiana - $25,600
Florida - $26,400
Nebraska - $27,300
Missouri - $27,600
Arkansas - $27,700
South Dakota - $27,800
Pennsylvania - $28,000
South Carolina - $28,200
Mississippi - $28,300
Alabama - $28,700

The rates increase together with the size of the facility. The average monthly base rate for the smallest assisted living facilities is $2,500, while a larger facility costs about $3,500. The typical length of stay in assisted living facility is 42 months or nearly four years. States in the metropolitan areas are obviously the highest rates for nursing home care.

Nursing Home Care

Nursing home care is seriously the most expensive type of care, averaging to $90,000 in 2010 or 14 percent increase since 2008. The average daily cost for private room in a nursing home is $247 or $90,155 annually, while semi-private room's average to $215 daily is $78, 475 annually.

Here's the annual breakdown of costs for nursing home care as of 2010:
Alaska - $ 232,100
Connecticut - $143,800
New York - $138,300
Massachusetts - $127,400
New Jersey - $123,000
Hawaii - $109,000
Washington, DC - $108,400
Delaware - $108,300
Pennsylvania - $102,600
Washington - $102,500
Louisiana - $55,900
Arkansas - $55,800
Missouri - $57,700
South Dakota - $61,000
Oklahoma - $61,300
Kansas - $62,400
Mississippi - $65,700
Alabama - $66,000
Iowa - $67,900
North Dakota - $68,400