Nursing homes have three times as many women than men, which underscores how important it is for women to have long-term-care insurance, according to a new study.
“The demographics don't lie: Women live longer than men,” says Andrew Melnyk, vice president of research for the American Council of Life Insurers, which issued the report. “Not everyone needs long-term-care insurance, but a lot of people do and many are not aware of the risk or they think Medicare covers the cost, which it doesn't.”
Women also live longer in nursing homes than men, averaging 2.6 years in a nursing home compared to 2.3 years for men, says the report, entitled, Who Will Pay for Our Long-Term Care?
Since 2005, the cost of nursing home care has grown by 4.5 percent annually, compared to an overall inflation rate of 2.5 percent. “If this trend continues, the average cost of a one-year stay in a nursing home will increase from about $81,000 per year in 2014 to $146,000 in 2030,” the report says.
Non-certified home health aides typically charge $20 per hour; the average base rate for the services of an assisted living facility is $42,000, and one-year of adult daycare services cost an average of $16,900, according to the report.