Cost of in home care?

G

garyt1957

Member
Wasn't sure how to title this or even what topic to post it in but I'm wondering if any of you know the cost of in home care, or care in a retirement facility? My Dad is 93 and really quite healthy, heart is fine, etc. He's likely to live awhile yet and more likely to die of old age as anything else. He lives by himself, 7 houses down the street from me. I do all his housework and anything else he needs. He is slowing down and someday soon may need some in home help or maybe move into a senior living place with help. My question is does anybody have a general idea of what the costs may be? I know it depends on the level of care, etc but just looking for a ball park figure.
I was going to retire in June at 60, but now thinking of holding on for another year or two in case he needs help with these expenses. I don't want him ending up in a medicare type nursing home if at all possible. He has enough income to pay the yearly fee for a senior living place if need be, but what would the added cost be if he needed in room care also.
 

I think it probably depends on the area of the country you live in. I live near Houston and the costs are much higher here in a metro area than in rural south GA where my sister lives. Our only experience with in-home care is my little MIL, who lives alone and has "Visiting Angels" visit her twice a day to help with meals and her medications. I don't know how much that costs as it has been covered by her long-term care insurance.

I would recommend checking locally to see what costs to expect.
 
We have a nice Senior center in a nearby town...where they supply everything from a bed and meals, to full "hospice" care for the seriously ill. One of my old neighbors recently passed from terminal cancer, and he spent the last few weeks of his life at this place. He said the cost, for full term care, was about $130 per day....about $4,000 a month.

Prior to that, he had an in-home care service coming to his house daily...to bring him meals, and do some basic care (helping him with his meds, etc.), and that was about $50 per day.
 

It may be cheapest to create and manage your own patchwork of services for your dad.

An alert pendant to summon help.
Meals on wheels.
A cleaning person.
You or another relative spending the night.
Uber for transportation.
Home delivery of prescriptions and groceries.
etc...

I would also look into a program called PACE.

https://www.medicare.gov/your-medicare-costs/help-paying-costs/pace/pace.html

In this area of the country you can get a warm body for about $15/hour to come in and perform basic household chores, assist with personal care, etc... but unless you know the person and have the ability to monitor them it can turn into a real nightmare.

Good luck!
 
Just FYI to the OP, I think you meant Medicaid nursing facilities, NOT Medicare. Don't confuse the two, they're quite different.

Be sure you understand the "ins and outs" of Medicaid in your state. Medicare is run by the federal government (SocSec, to be precise), while Medicaid is administered by each state independently.
 
If your father is still basically healthy, I would at this time hire someone to go and help out 1-2 hours a day and get him an alert pendant. I've read that people are happier staying at home and it's much cheaper (and less depressing) than a nursing home. Aunt Bea gave a lot of good suggestions.
 
Thanks for the replies. I can take care of all the household chores and will even move in if need be. I spent a few days there a few weeks ago when he was sick. I don't think he'd be OK with me helping him bathe and use the bathroom if it came to that. My sister cooks or we get him something everyday . Right now he's still good.
 
My mother lived to 97, she only had full time care the last few months of her life. She was very independent and her mind was sharp. Her body just wore out. We used incremental in home care for the last two or three years of her life with good results. We found three ladies (that were sisters) that took fantastic care of her for a fraction of what services cost. They operated like a wrestling tag team, when one couldn't cover a time period, the other two would.

It was a small town and everyone knew each other. The same three are taking care of my father in law with Alzheimer's.
 
Can't speak to home care around the clock or 8 hour day but I someone with several rounds of home nursing and therapy visits over $300 each. Medicare/insurance only pay about half and if in network the patient doesn't pay anything. The nursing visit in particular tended to under a half hour. Therapy was closer to an hour in some cases.

Those nurses said insurance companies would rather pay that than hospital stays with observational type care. They want those under going treatment only in hospitals.

Unsure if long term care pays for home nursing, therapy etc.
 
Along this subject ?

A friend of mine, still working and unable to care for her 95 yr/old mother 24/7 is retirement home shopping. So far the best price found is $375.00 P/day {$11,250 } + yes i said + $130.00 P/month for laundry !! [personal clothing] Now just how much laundry does a 95 yr/old woman generate ?

Now my friend admits that she can & will do her mothers laundry to save that fee....but it just the principle of it all.

She is still pondering the situation with the rest of her siblings....a partially handicapped brother, a 70+ yr/old sister, and the others that live out of state.

No easy decisions here.
 
No question, the amount of money charged these days for a stay in a nursing home is very scary.

Charging $130.00/month or $30.00/week for laundry sounds high until you add up all of the costs involved, the person doing the laundry deserves to make a living wage to take care of themselves and their family.

I hope that I fall out of the ambulance on the way to the home and get hit by a bus!!!
 
Aunt Bea said:
No question, the amount of money charged these days for a stay in a nursing home is very scary.

Charging $130.00/month or $30.00/week for laundry sounds high until you add up all of the costs involved, the person doing the laundry deserves to make a living wage to take care of themselves and their family.

I hope that I fall out of the ambulance on the way to the home and get hit by a bus!!!
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"Charging $130.00/month or $30.00/week for laundry sounds high until you add up all of the costs involved, the person doing the laundry deserves to make a living wage to take care of themselves and their family."

 True but....how many residents times $130 ? And most of them wearing [very likely] minimal clothing at that . Plus...just what is the "living wage" paid to the worker doing the work?.........Not arguing...just thinking out loud.

"I hope that I fall out of the ambulance on the way to the home and get hit by a bus!!!"........LOL!!

Damn shame we don't know when the worst is coming....so that we can take control.

Dr. Kevorkian where are you ?
 
rgp said:
Damn shame we don't know when the worst is coming....so that we can take control.

Dr. Kevorkian where are you ?
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I agree!

I never thought that we would have things like NARCAN or the morning after pill maybe someday we will have a pill to help us on our way, if we can afford it!
 
rgp = "Damn shame we don't know when the worst is coming....so that we can take control."

Aunt Bea = "maybe someday we will have a pill to help us on our way, if we can afford it!"

Absolutely, agreed! On the other hand, I seldom take medicine, one bottle of sleeping pills should do it. BUT, sometimes it just leaves you in a vegetative state instead of ending it all.
 
It's virtually highway robbery in some cases, there are obviously exceptions to those with very serious illnesses or memory issues that demand a lot more care, but the majority of elders need a minimum amount of help. A far better solution would be the cluster communities I read about in the northwest. Mixed age groups, but not exactly commune type living, in very small houses. I mean one could build a small house in such a community for much less than the cost of a couple of years of facility care or full time in home care. It's not popular with builders, but I think it is the future for aging populations.
 
JB in SC said:
It's virtually highway robbery in some cases, there are obviously exceptions to those with very serious illnesses or memory issues that demand a lot more care, but the majority of elders need a minimum amount of help. A far better solution would be the cluster communities I read about in the northwest. Mixed age groups, but not exactly commune type living, in very small houses. I mean one could build a small house in such a community for much less than the cost of a couple of years of facility care or full time in home care. It's not popular with builders, but I think it is the future for aging populations.
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I understand the building / living concept of it but. Where does the care part come from?
 

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