For those of you thinking about the cost of long-term care, the outlook doesn’t look bright. In fact, the already high cost is expected to increase over the next few decades. Right now, the median cost of a nursing home is $206 per day, which equals around $75,000 a year, while the median cost for an in-home health aide is more than $55,000 a year. From 2009 to 2010, the median nursing-home cost rose by 5.1% and the average pace of growth is around 4.5% per year. Please keep in mind that price varies by location, so estimates may change based on where you retire.
Home-care costs haven’t risen as quickly as nursing-home costs, mainly because they’re tied to labor rates rather than health care rates. However, they still increased by 2.7% over the past year. If they continue to increase by 3% per year, then the cost could come to be more than $100,000 annually in 20 years. It’s important to keep these figures in mind when planning for retirement as long-term care could require a hefty portion of your nest egg.
For more information on planning for long-term care, please visit Kiplinger.