Southern California Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog
Given that reports concerning nursing home abuse and neglect have made clear that such crimes simply don’t discriminate based on the cost of a facility, should Californians be concerned about the link between the rising costs of long-term care and the risks of elder abuse?
In short, it’s possible that, due to the rising costs of this type of care, facilities could try to cut back on budgets in certain areas in order to attract elderly residents and their families. But could this type of attention to pricing lead to inadequate staffing, for instance?
Need for Vigilance at Long-Term Care Facilities
According to a recent article in California Healthline, “the cost of long-term care for the elderly has steadily increased in recent years across the country, including in California.” The information comes from a survey conducted by Genworth Financial, which polled approximately 15,000 different facilities, including nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Researchers asked questions about different types of costs, such as those for adult daycare as well as for home health aides, the article reported. The survey took place earlier this year in January and February.
How much have prices risen? The survey results suggest that “the cost of staying in a nursing home has increased by 4 percent annually over the last five years.” To give you an idea of what those costs look like, “the median cost of staying in a private nursing home room in 2015 is $91,250, compared with $87,600 last year.”
While services for the elderly generally have risen over the last decade, the price of long-term care at a nursing home has increased more rapidly. In comparison, the median annual cost of staying in an assisted-living facility is around $43,000, while it’s a bit higher—about $45,000—for a year of service from a home health aide. Should we be concerned about the rising costs and possible links to nursing home neglect? It’s important for families to be vigilant when they have a loved one in a nursing home or assisted-living facility. If you are concerned about the facility emphasizing that it has been cutting costs, you should ensure that your elderly parent continues to receive the type of care that she or he requires.
Costs Increase in California, Too
While long-term care prices are rising across the country, that trend seems to be even more pronounced in California. The survey results showed that California is on the higher side of the price increases, as nursing home costs rose by about 3.5 percent over the last five years. As such, the median cost for a private nursing home room in our state is now more than $104,000 over the course of the year.
Costs of assisted-living facility stays and in-home health aide services have also risen, but not nearly as drastically as nursing home costs. In California, the annual cost of staying in an assisted-living facility, for instance, is right around the national median at $45,000.
If you have questions about your elderly loved one’s treatment in a California nursing home, assisted-living facility, or residential care facility for the elderly (RCFE), you should discuss your case with an experienced San Diego nursing home abuse lawyer. The advocates at the Walton Law Firm can help.
See Related Blog Posts:
