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Calculate the Cost of Assisted Living vs. Home Care Using Our Assisted Living Affordability Calculator
Assisted Living or Home Care?
Is the cost of long term care at home more or less expensive than assisted living? Prior to answering this question, it is important to acknowledge that other factors go into making the decision whether to care for a loved one at home or in assisted living; it is not strictly an economic decision. However, the intent of this article is to enable one to evaluate this question from a financial perspective.
How to Calculate Your Cost of Assisted Living vs. Home Care - The Short Answer
The short answer to the “is home care more cost effective than assisted living” question is that it depends on one’s unique situation. A very general rule of thumb is that if the individual in need of care requires less than 40 hours / week of paid home care, then home care is a less expensive option than assisted living. However, there are many factors that can easily change this equation such as one’s state of residence, whether they rent or own their home or if they require additional services in assisted living such as Alzheimer’s care.
Estimate Your Assisted Living Costs
Estimating one’s projected assisted living costs is easier than projecting one’s home care costs. One simply needs to determine their assisted living needs and the average costs of care for their geographic area. Nationwide, the average monthly cost of assisted living is approximately $3,477. State by state averages range dramatically from $2,156 to $5,757.
Alzheimer’s and dementia care cost approximately $1,142 additional per month. Therefore average assisted living costs range from $2,100 / month for basic care service in the least expensive states to $6,000 / month for higher level care in the most expensive states.
To calculate your monthly cost estimate, look at the average cost of assisted living by state and add $1,142 if higher level care such as for Alzheimer’s is required.
Note that there are tax credits and deductions that might be applied to lower assisted living costs, but for the most part, these same tax advantages can be applied to the cost of home care and therefore do not make a substantial difference when comparing costs.
Alzheimer’s and dementia care cost approximately $1,142 additional per month. Therefore average assisted living costs range from $2,100 / month for basic care service in the least expensive states to $6,000 / month for higher level care in the most expensive states.
To calculate your monthly cost estimate, look at the average cost of assisted living by state and add $1,142 if higher level care such as for Alzheimer’s is required.
Note that there are tax credits and deductions that might be applied to lower assisted living costs, but for the most part, these same tax advantages can be applied to the cost of home care and therefore do not make a substantial difference when comparing costs.
Estimate Your Home Care Costs - The Simple Approach
Calculating the cost of home care for an accurate comparison to assisted living is a much harder process. We provide both a simple method and a more thorough and accurate approach.
For the simple method, estimate the number of hours per month that home care is required and multiply that by the average costs of home care in your state. The average hourly cost of home care ranges from approximately $13 / hour in the least expensive states, mostly in the southeastern area of the country to $29 / hour in Alaska.
For the simple method, estimate the number of hours per month that home care is required and multiply that by the average costs of home care in your state. The average hourly cost of home care ranges from approximately $13 / hour in the least expensive states, mostly in the southeastern area of the country to $29 / hour in Alaska.
Estimate Your Home Care Costs - The Thorough and Accurate Approach
This approach consists of 5 Steps in a worksheet format to assist families in projecting their true cost of home care. Print This Page.
Step 1) Determine the Types of Care Required
Look at a typical week for the individual needing care and break it into the types and amount of care required without thinking about who will provide the care. There are 168 hours in a week and the 4 Types of Care should add up to 168 hours.
Step 2) Determine Sources for Each Type of Care
Personal care is often provided by friends, family and unpaid respite care providers from national organizations and non-profits. Additionally personal care can be provided in an Adult Day Care center at a lower cost than at home. Break your personal care hours into the different providers.
Step 3) Determine Cost of Care for Each Type of Care for Your Specific Area
The cost of care varies from state to state. Use the national averages or look up the specific costs for your state by following the links in the table below.
Step 4) Determine Other Monthly Cost Savings
There are other monthly costs that would not exist if an individual were to move from their home to an assisted living community. However if one’s spouse continues to live at home, some these expenses will not go away.
Step 5) Calculate Total Monthly Home Care Costs
In Step 3, we calculated the total weekly cost of care. We need to convert this to a monthly cost and include the Other Monthly Cost Saving from Step 4 to calculate Total Monthly Home Care Costs.
Step 1) Determine the Types of Care Required
Look at a typical week for the individual needing care and break it into the types and amount of care required without thinking about who will provide the care. There are 168 hours in a week and the 4 Types of Care should add up to 168 hours.
| Step 1 - Breakdown Care Requirements for a Typical Week | Hours/Week | |||
| Line # | Type of Care | Description | Sample | Your Data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Medical / Home Health Care | From a health professional to give shots, tube feedings, change dressings or other medical care | 12 hrs | |
| 1.2 | Personal Care | Assistance with activities of daily living such as bathing, toileting and getting dressed | 100 hrs | |
| 1.3 | Monitoring | Someone is on-call in case of emergency but not in home, for example during sleeping hours | 56 hrs | |
| 1.4 | Independent | Requires no assistance or monitoring | 0 hrs | |
| 1.5 | Total Hours | 7 Days x 24 hours / day = 168 hrs | 168 hrs | 168 hrs |
Step 2) Determine Sources for Each Type of Care
Personal care is often provided by friends, family and unpaid respite care providers from national organizations and non-profits. Additionally personal care can be provided in an Adult Day Care center at a lower cost than at home. Break your personal care hours into the different providers.
| Step 2 - Determine Personal Care Providers | Hours/Week | |||
| Line # | Type of Care | Description | Sample | Your Data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | Medical Care - Home Health Provider | # of care hours from health care professionals per week | 12 hrs | |
| 2.2 | Personal Care - Friends and Family | # of care hours you, your friends and family can provide per week | 20 hrs | |
| 2.3 | Personal Care - Respite Care | Add 1 hour for each true statement about the person who needs care 1) They are a US Veteran 2) Their income is less than $18,000 year 3) Family & friends give 40+ hrs of care / wk # of care hours in adult day care | 2 hrs | |
| 2.4 | Personal Care - Adult Day Care | # of care hours in adult day care per week | 24 hrs | |
| 2.5 | Personal Care - Home Care Aide | # of care hours using an in-home care aide per week | 54 hrs | |
| 2.6 | Monitoring Service | # of hours someone’s is on-call in case of emergency per week | 56 hrs | |
| 2.7 | Independent | # of hours with no assistance or monitoring | 0 hrs | |
| 2.8 | Total Hours | 7 Days x 24 hours / day = 168 hrs | 168 hrs | 168 hrs |
Step 3) Determine Cost of Care for Each Type of Care for Your Specific Area
The cost of care varies from state to state. Use the national averages or look up the specific costs for your state by following the links in the table below.
| Step 3 - Determine Cost of Each Care Type | Cost Per Hour x Hours Per Week | |||
| Line # | Type of Care Provider | Cost Per Hour | Sample Calculations | Your Data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | Medical Care - Home Health Provider |
National avg. is $21/hr See State Specific Avg. |
$21/hr x 12 hrs = $252 | $__/hr x Line 2.1 = $__ |
| 3.2 | Personal Care - Friends & Family | No cost - $0/hr | $0 x 20 hrs = $0 | $__/hr x Line 2.2 = $__ |
| 3.3 |
Personal Care - Respite Care |
No cost - $0/hr | $0 x 2 hrs = $0 |
$__/hr x Line 2.3 = $__ |
| 3.4 |
Personal Care - Adult Day Care | National avg. is $10/hr | $10/hr x 24 hrs = $240 |
$__/hr x Line 2.4 = $__ |
| 3.5 | Personal Care - Home Care Aide | National avg. is $19/hr See State Specific Avg. |
$19/hr x 54 hrs = $1026 | $__/hr x Line 2.5 = $__ |
| 3.6 | Monitoring Service | Avg. about $3/day | $3/day x 7 days/wk = $21 | $__/hr x Line 2.6 = $__ |
| 3.7 | Independent | No cost - $0/hr | $0 x 0 hrs = $0 | $__/hr x Line 2.7 = $__ |
| 3.8 |
Total Weekly Cost |
7 Days x 24 hours / day = 168 hrs | Total = $1,539 / week | Add Lines 3.1 – 3.7 |
Step 4) Determine Other Monthly Cost Savings
There are other monthly costs that would not exist if an individual were to move from their home to an assisted living community. However if one’s spouse continues to live at home, some these expenses will not go away.
| Step 4 - Determine Other Monthly Cost Savings | ||||
| Line # | Expenses | Expense Estimates / Descriptions | Sample | Your Data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.1 | Gas, Water and Electric | Estimated at $150 / month for one person | $150 | |
| 4.2 | Cable TV | Estimated at $35 / month | $35 | |
| 4.3 | Food | Estimated at $150 - $275 / month per person | $200 | |
| 4.4 | Rent | Rent only. Not mortgage payments as those continue even if a person moves into assisted living. | $0 |
|
| 4.5 | Other Misc. Costs | Phone, yard work, snow removal etc. | $40 | |
| 4.6 | Total Hours | $425 |
Add Lines 4.1 – 4.5 | |
Step 5) Calculate Total Monthly Home Care Costs
In Step 3, we calculated the total weekly cost of care. We need to convert this to a monthly cost and include the Other Monthly Cost Saving from Step 4 to calculate Total Monthly Home Care Costs.
| Step 5 - Calculate Total Monthly Home Care Costs | |||
| Line # | Sample Calculations | Your Data | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.1 | Take the Total Weekly Cost from Line 3.8 | $1,539 | |
| 5.2 | Divide Line 5.1 by 7 to determine average daily cost of care. | $1,539 / 7 = $219.86 | |
| 5.3 | Multiple Line 5.2 by 30 to determine monthly cost (because there are more than 4 wks / month) | $219.86 x 30 = $6,595 | |
| 5.4 | Add Total Other Cost Saving from Line 4.6 | $425 | |
| 5.5 | Add Line 5.3 and 5.4. This is your Monthly Home Care Cost for Comparison to Monthly Assisted Living Costs | $6,595 + $425 = $7,020 | |
Updated / Reviewed May 2012
