Soaring Cost Of Nursing And Assisted Living Care Taxing Families Financially And Emotionally

Jan. 17, 2011 - PRLog -- CONTACT:     Steve Devlin
         Home Care Assistance
          (215) 489-9183
          sdevlin@homecareassistance.com


SOARING COST OF NURSING AND ASSISTED LIVING CARE TAXING FAMILIES
FINANCIALLY AND EMOTIONALLY

Number of those needing 24-hour care is rising exponentially

(Doylestown, PA – January, 2011) In 2010, private room nursing home rates rose 4.6%, increasing the cost to an average of $229 per day, and over $83,000 per year. Assisted living facility rates rose 5.2%, increasing the cost to an average of $3,293 per month and over $39,000 per year. In 2010 more than 8,000 people will turn 65 every day. And as the year comes to a close, the senior population of America will reach almost 49 million, with an additional 5 million reaching 85 years of age.

Studies have shown that 89% of people prefer to remain in their own home as they age, increasing the need for quality, 24-hour home care assistance.

These soaring costs, along with the number of people requiring constant care, result in the need for families to help mom and dad, or other loved one, age at home. According to www.thefamilycaregiver.org, family caregivers provide an estimated $375 billion worth of free care giving services each year and spend an average of 20 hours per week caring for their loved ones.
“Providing quality home care is a growing concern and problem for the sandwich generation as they balance child care, careers and caring for relatives,” says Chip Ross, owner of Home Care Assistance Philadelphia. “It’s draining, not just financially, but emotionally as well, as people try to help the best they can. But there comes a point, especially for people who have elderly parents out of state, where they have no other choice than to hire a 24-hour live-in companion. Home Care Assistance specializes in live-in care which offers one-on-one in home service at a lower cost than nursing home or assisted living process.”

HOME CARE ASSISTANCE PHILADELPHIA

“A live-in caregiver stays in the home 24 hours a day, and is available to assist morning, noon, and night. When Home Care Assistance provides live-in care for seven days a week, we assign a primary caregiver and a back-up caregiver to the job. We have clients ranging in age from 18 to 105 years, who are able to remain in their homes at a cost much more in line with that of a nursing home, with the advantage of an increased level of one-on-one care. This type of care is much better for the client. We can also offer part time living assistance at a reduced cost.”

Home Care Assistance has a proprietary process for care known as the Balanced Care Method, a combination of a moderation and variety of diet, activities, relationships, and the way in which time is spent. This type of care is based on studies of the extraordinarily long-lived elders in the Okinawa region of Japan.

“Life spans of over 100 years are not unusual in Okinawa,” says Ross. “More importantly, people in their 70s, 80s, and beyond, enjoy incredibly good health and independence. Excellent physical health, mental awareness, and inner calm are common among the elders in Okinawa. The Balanced Care Method seeks to capture some of the lifestyle factors that go toward creating such long-lived and healthy people.”

For more information about Home Care Assistance Philadelphia and interviews with Chip Ross, please call (215) 489-9183 or visit www.homecareassistance.com.
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Home Care Assistance provides in-home live-in and hourly caregiver services to older adults who prefer to remain at home as they age. For more information please call us at (215) 489-9183, or sdevlin@homecareassistance.com.