Aging at home has become more expensive than ever, according to Genworth's 2019 cost of care survey. The study showed that the cost of homemaker services, involving such tasks as cooking, cleaning and running errands, increased by 7.1% since last year to an annual median of $51,480. And the cost of a home health aide to provide hands-on personal assistance has increased by 4.6% to $52,642. But on a state-by-state basis, the cost differential for nursing home care is far steeper, ranging from $67,525 a year on average for a private room in Oklahoma to $362,628 a year in Alaska. Genworth's annual survey contacted 53,901 long-term care providers nationwide to complete 15,178 surveys for nursing homes, assisted living facilities, adult day health facilities and home care providers. The survey includes 441 regions based on the Metropolitan Statistical Areas, defined by the Office of Management and Budget, comprising about 85% of the U.S. population. The least expensive states for long-term care — relatively speaking — generally fall in the middle of the country.

Escalating costs

While home care and adult day health care services costs increased over the past year, the cost of care in facilities has stabilized, with increases ranging from 1% to 2% for assisted living facilities and nursing homes, according to Genworth. The national annual median cost of care now ranges from $102,200 for a private room in a nursing home to $19,500 for adult day health care services (based on five days per week per year). A new category in this year's Cost of Care Survey is in-home skilled nursing at a national median cost of $87.50 per visit. See the gallery for the least expensive states for long-term care, according to Genworth. Related: |

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