Home care is more affordable that many realize, as 49% overestimated the cost by more than $6 an hour, a recent Home Instead Senior Care poll shows.
Around 73% of surveyed seniors and their families who receive paid home care found it to be at a good value and were satisfied with their care; the actual average per-hour cost they pay is $17.10 an hour.
Those who didn’t receive at-home care estimated costs for companionship care (which includes basic assistance for things like cooking and light housekeeping) at more than $24 an hour, and more than $26 an hour for personal care, which also includes bathing.
On the other hand, the average yearly cost of nursing home care is $70,000—nearly 75% more than home health care.
However, because of peoples’ misconceptions about the costs of being cared for at home, many don’t even consider it, says Roger Baumgart, CEO of Home Instead Senior Care.
“One of our goals is to enable seniors to remain in their homes, where studies show they are happier and receive more care,” says Baumgart. “More seniors could utilize professional care to stay in their homes if they knew how modest the cost really is.”
Written by Alyssa Gerace