It’s a good news, bad news situation. People are living longer, but their quality of life may not be that great.
According to the World Health Organization, the average American can expect to have 20 healthy years after the age of 60, a fact that many have yet to accept, says Joseph Coughlin, director of MIT AgeLab.
Many Americans spend down their savings thinking they will never be among the “oldest old”—those 85 and up who need the most care.
“The chances of their life span outliving their wealth span increases dramatically just at the point when there’s no more income coming in,” Coughlin says.
And that can spell big trouble. The high costs of long-term care services—whether at home or a professional care facility—can easily bankrupt someone who has not planned for an extra-long life span.
What can the average American expect to spend? Below are long-term care costs for different types of services and facilities, according to Genworth’s 2015 Cost of Care survey:
Homemaker services:
National median hourly rate: $20
Increase over 2014: 2.63%
Home health aide services:
National median hourly rate: $20
Increase over 2014: 1.27%
Adult Daycare:
National median daily rate: $69
Increase over 2014: 5.94%
Assisted Living Facility:
National median monthly rate: $3,600
Increase over 2014: 2.86%
Nursing Home Care/Semi-Private Room:
National median daily rate: $220
Increase over 2014: 3.77%
Nursing Home Care/ Private Room:
National median daily rate: $250
Increase over 2014: 4.17%
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