Average Nursing Home Costs

The average cost of nursing homes varies to such an extreme that it is necessary to break the issue down into subsections. There are nursing homes, residential homes, dual registered homes and specialist Dementia care homes. The four different types cater for different needs and consequently will have different average costs.

Nursing Homes

Nursing homes will have facilities for personal care, but with an added dimension of medical care too. These homes will have their own qualified nurses, which obviously pushes the price up. Studies have been conducted to suggest what the average costs are for nursing homes. For a standard nursing home privately it would cost around $36,000 dollars annually. For partially private, it would be a little less, but still significantly pricey. There are nursing homes available which are at least partially state funded, but they are available only to those who truly cannot afford to pay for their own assisted living costs.

Residential Homes

Residential homes are a type of nursing home where personal care is provided, but without the need for expensive medical treatments. In these homes the costs are slightly less, but as they provide round the clock care, they are still expensive. Dependent on the area you live and the type of home you choose, the costs can be up to $75,000 per year. This is a significant impact on even well established retirement funds. Medicare or Medicaid will only be able to offer you so much assistance, and you must therefore assume that you will be paying the majority of these costs yourself.

Dual Registered Homes

Dual registered homes are designed for elderly couples who want to stay together, but have different levels of medical needs. These establishments will often have a set number of beds which are marked as 'residential' and a set number for 'nursing'. These are more complex to run, and must provide two levels of care, which does impact on price. However, it is difficult to get an 'average' for these kinds of establishments, as the costs will vary depending on the needs of the couple in question. Again, the costs will also vary depending on whether you are in private or partially private care.

Dementia Care Homes

The final type of nursing home I will cover is the dementia specific care home. These homes specialize in the care of people who have mental rather than physical impairment. This can include dementia, Alzheimer's and a variety of other mental conditions. These establishments are quite expensive to run due to the level of care needed to ensure that the patients are monitored at all times. Due to the nature of these conditions, it is more likely that you can get state help. They should be able to perform an assessment on your relative to see if you are entitled to help in the costs of their care. The average costs of this care vary, but in the UK the average is around £25,000. In the US the figures are similar at around $50,000.