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My mother went into a nursing home for around 3 years before passing. It ranged from $8,000 to $12,000 per month. The state requires homes to tack on an additional 30% the first 3 months, which I suspect was done at the behest of nursing home owners (doctors, lawyers).
They basically want to "front load" their income so that once grannie or grandpa run out of money, they can offer assistance, having gotten all of the money ahead of time. It wipes out inheritances. The CNAs certainly weren't raking in the dough what with $13/hour wages.
But my father had saved for her care once he passed and it worked. The money lasted up to the end with only about one month cash remaining.
A private caregiver wouldn't charge $8,000 a month, and nursing homes are GROUP CARE, so why are they bilking people like this? I would only put my relative in one of these places if they had severe dementia/alzheimers or were 100% unable to care for themselves. Otherwise, I'd hire a private caregiver, one for day shift and one for night shift, and it wouldn't cost even 8 grand a month.
Group care isn't worth 8 grand a month, not even skilled nursing care.
Assisted living is worth even less. They just a get a small room and a bathroom and someone who checks on them. that is not worth 8 grand a month.
And CNAs where I live don't even earn $13.00 an hour. They are lucky to get $10.00.
A private caregiver wouldn't charge $8,000 a month, and nursing homes are GROUP CARE, so why are they bilking people like this? I would only put my relative in one of these places if they had severe dementia/alzheimers or were 100% unable to care for themselves. Otherwise, I'd hire a private caregiver, one for day shift and one for night shift, and it wouldn't cost even 8 grand a month.
When DH was in his last days in hospice care I hired a private firm a couple of times to send someone in to take care of him while I went out. They were willing to do meal preparation and light housekeeping, which I didn't really need. For an extra charge they'd do grocery shopping and take you to doc appointments. They were also certified to give meds but I don't think they were fully-qualified nurses. In 2016 in a LCOL area they charged $22/hour. That's a heck of a lot more than $8,000/month. They told me they did have one 97-year old client who had 24/7 support. I'd find that isolating.
Another data point: my 89-year old Dad is in a very good independent living facility in SC. No buy-in and it costs him $3,750/month. That covers all meals but he also has a kitchen, housekeeping and shuttles to doctor's appointments, to the library, etc. My plan is to get something similar whan I can no longer live independently.
A private caregiver wouldn't charge $8,000 a month, and nursing homes are GROUP CARE, so why are they bilking people like this? I would only put my relative in one of these places if they had severe dementia/alzheimers or were 100% unable to care for themselves. Otherwise, I'd hire a private caregiver, one for day shift and one for night shift, and it wouldn't cost even 8 grand a month.
Group care isn't worth 8 grand a month, not even skilled nursing care.
Assisted living is worth even less. They just a get a small room and a bathroom and someone who checks on them. that is not worth 8 grand a month.
And CNAs where I live don't even earn $13.00 an hour. They are lucky to get $10.00.
Do you have the knowledge, facility and time to care 24/7 for someone? One CNA for day and one for night leaves a span of eight hours. At $10/hour that makes $240 for caretaker. Where are you located to be able to get a CNA for 10/hr?
It is a business and overhead is part of the calculation from building maintenance to wages.
Do you have the knowledge, facility and time to care 24/7 for someone? One CNA for day and one for night leaves a span of eight hours. At $10/hour that makes $240 for caretaker. Where are you located to be able to get a CNA for 10/hr?.
I used to work as a CNA and earned $9.50 per hour. Oh, and that was recently. The going rate where I live is around 9 - 11 dollars per hour. That is what they earn in Texas. If they're lucky they might get a little bit more or some might get less.
If you have specific questions I can help as much as I know. This was my family’s main business for much of the past 3 decades. My dad was a pioneer in senior living and had one of the first companies dedicated to it, the company was public for a while until he bought it back, and last year sold to a larger investment company (he does commercial real estate now like office buildings, hotels, and apartments). I grew up around the industry and volunteered at a senior living place for a while, then I eventually started a video company that does B2B videos for all industries but we are the nationwide leader in senior living video production. As such we’ve shot in more than 500 communities across the US and I’ve personally shot or been on location for 30-40 of those. That includes most of the top 10-15 largest companies.
In my experience the quality varies wildly between communities even within the same company, but it often comes down to management and construction quality. The best places look like a Ritz Carlton and have chef prepared food, great locations, and nice rooms. The worst ones are awful, I feel bad even shooting a marketing video for them, they’re dingy and depressing, horrid food, few activities, etc.
The best senior living places make ME want to live there! They’re expensive like $4,500 to $6,000 per month, but I’ve seen some really neat places in my years from waterfront CC&Rs (these are like condos you buy) to downtown buildings with top floor restaurants and 360 degree views to even an old Southern mansion converted into a beautiful senior living home with about 100 acres of nature around it. There are some spectacular places and sometimes it’s the residents and staff who make it, like ones with organized trips for seniors to other countries or local attractions, to ones with very active social groups. That helps a lot of elderly residents feel connected, like WWII vets or social hours and drinks. It’s not all boring bingo and jello. Some places have a tasting kitchen where the chef tries new recipes and sees what the residents like, then adds to the menu. One of the best places we ran hired a top chef from a restaurant in the city and he prepared special menus each day but with a regular list of items in case you didn’t like that day’s two offerings. The food there (I had it on 4 occasions - they redid the video many times lol) was amazing and rivaled any good restaurant food.
You’ll know when you walk inside at least if the place has a good feel, and our job with videos is to give the viewer a feel for the place before ever even stepping foot in the door. Some of the best places have what’s called a “continuum of care” or “aging in place” where there’s 3 levels - independent, assisted, and memory care. That works especially well if let’s say mom is able bodied and fine, but dad needs some help and she’s getting tired of doing it all for him. They can live together in the same community but there are nurses available to help him, while she can still have a car on site and be free to live her life. Then if he develops Alzheimer’s, he can stay at the same place and have the more intense help needed. We see a lot of times assisted and memory care are together, and others are independent only, so that’s common but many places that are larger do offer all 3 levels of care.
I used to work as a CNA and earned $9.50 per hour. Oh, and that was recently. The going rate where I live is around 9 - 11 dollars per hour. That is what they earn in Texas. If they're lucky they might get a little bit more or some might get less.
It all depends on background, even in Texas. But what you made when and where does not change the fact that a day has 24 hours.
I’ve definitely heard staff aren’t particularly well paid - it’s tough to keep serving staff because there are zero tips allowed so you need to find caring people who really just like working with the elderly. The executive directors make a lot - anywhere from $80,000 in a rural small town maybe to $200,000 for a bigger place. Probably more at some.
I’ve definitely heard staff aren’t particularly well paid - it’s tough to keep serving staff because there are zero tips allowed so you need to find caring people who really just like working with the elderly. The executive directors make a lot - anywhere from $80,000 in a rural small town maybe to $200,000 for a bigger place. Probably more at some.
The one where a relative spent five years or so seemed to have a good level of stability on their staff. Less so with the CNA's in the ALF portion of the facility but the dining hall staff and other staff seemed pretty stable.
Can anyone tell me anything about Assisted Living places from your own knowledge of people who are in one? Expense and services? I understand that Medicare does not cover Assisted Living; yet I hear things that make me wonder how the average person would manage.
Thank you.
I pay for my expensive Assisted Living monthly using my Social Security, Private Pensions, Long Term Care Insurance. My large home and cars have all been sold. I am quite content living where I am and enjoy a fair degree of independence.
I pay for my expensive Assisted Living monthly using my Social Security, Private Pensions, Long Term Care Insurance. My large home and cars have all been sold. I am quite content living where I am and enjoy a fair degree of independence.
That's my plan although I don't have LTC insurance. Instead, I have investments producing enough income that I should be able to afford a decent place. If I'm no longer spending on travel, charity, mortgage, property taxes, home upkeep, car, etc. pretty much my entire income can go to a place where I can enjoy what life I have left. A little for clothing, more than a little for stuff Medicare doesn't cover (dental, vision, hearing aids), whatever electronic toys I need- not much else.
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