Wisconsin’s assisted living, nursing homes cost more than average

The additional care required for the aging or those dealing with significant health issues may cost more in Wisconsin.

The cost of living in a nursing home or assisted living facility in Wisconsin is higher than the national average, according to an annual survey by Genworth Financial Inc.

The price tag for assisted living averages $40,725 a year and $82,125 per year for nursing home care in Wisconsin. Costs vary widely even by city: for example, nursing home costs in Milwaukee are 37 percent above the national median, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

Licensed home health care services range from $19 an hour in Green Bay to $24 an hour in Madison. Nationally, the median hourly rate is $19.

The Genworth Financial 2010 Cost of Care study noted that nearly two-thirds of people over age 65 will need long term care at home or through adult day health care, or care in an assisted living facility or nursing home.

But such services aren’t limited to seniors. Forty percent of people currently receiving long-term care services are ages 18 to 64, according to the company.

The study also calculates the rate at which costs are rising. The cost to live in a single-person assisted living facility increased 12 percent in 2009 to a national monthly median rate of $3,185. Nursing home costs increased more than 5 percent, for a national median of $185 per day for a semi-private room and $206 for a private room.

“Americans can expect to pay approximately $14,965 more per year today for a nursing home
than they had to pay in 2005,” the study noted.

Read the full summary.

More information:

Wisconsin Department of Human Services: Consumer information on assisted living

Wisconsin Department of Human Services: Wisconsin nursing homes

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home

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