METLIFE SURVEY ON LONG-TERM CARE COST
One of the issues that is a source of great concern within the elder law community is that of access to long-term care. Perhaps the most striking demographic statistic of our time is that people who are at least 85 years of age are the fastest growing age group in the country. Clearly, when you reach an advanced age it is very possible that you are going to need living assistance.
Many people go forward with the misconception that they don't have to worry about the matter because if they need long-term care Medicare will pay for it. In fact, the Medicare program does not pay for long-term care so this is something that you are going to have to budget for in advance.
How expensive is long-term care? Every year the people at MetLife do a survey to get a feel for the state of long-term care costs in the United States. They have recently released their 2011 figures and they would indicate that long-term care costs are extremely high and on the rise.
The average daily charge for a private room in a nursing home in the United States in 2011 was $239 which is a 4.4% increase over the 2010 figure of $229. If you do the math this factors out to $87,235 annually.
This is a lot of money for many people, so it is important to develop a long-term plan to address these potential expenses. If you are ready to do so, simply take a moment to arrange for a consultation with a licensed San Bernardino elder law attorney. At the Elder and Disability Law Firm, our attorney and government benefit professionals know how to shelter your hard-earned assets by getting government benefit to help pay for assisted living costs and care in a skilled nursing home. We can protect your homes and hard-earned assets.