In WTOP’s series “Parenting Your Parents,” reporter Sandra Jones delves into a difficult task many adults will eventually face — taking care of your parents.
In Part 3, WTOP broke down the high cost of assisted living compared to hiring a professional to care for your loved ones. Read Part 1 and Part 2 here.
It may be tough to find affordable assisted living with the demand for senior housing at a record high, according to experts.
Most communities offer seniors nearly all the comforts of home. But a recent study by Seniorly.com found D.C. was the second most expensive place in the country at $6,800 a month.
The reason is the increasing rates of occupancies. There’s a demand — people need care.
“They might have been waiting for as long as possible and they just can no longer wait,” said gerontologist Marlena del Hierro with Seniorly.com, adding that rising labor costs and inflation played a role too.
“There are different types of communities. There are larger assisted livings that are luxurious. There are smaller, personal care homes or boarding cares. Group homes is also what they’re known for,” del Hierro said. “And those usually happen to be more of an affordable option. So I don’t want to completely scare everyone.”
For families struggling to find housing, del Hierro said there are companies that work to simplify the process.
“Any type of service to support you as you age, these companies work fast. They know that this is a really quick need,” del Hierro said.
The cost of assisted living facilities in Maryland and Virginia ranged from $3,800 to $4,100 a month, according to the Seniorly study.
If it’s tough to find an affordable facility, you could save money by hiring a professional to come into the home.
Home health aides are a lot less expensive than assisted living facilities.
According to Seniorly.com, the price is $5,600 a month for one in D.C. That’s a $1,200 savings compared to $6,800 at a senior living facility.
“You can hire someone in your home that will support your day-to-day needs. So this is absolutely an option,” del Hierro said.
But it may not work for everyone, such as when a “loved one needs more supervision, 24-hour care, because then this cost will end up going higher in hourly rate,” del Hierro said.
Keeping your loved ones in their own home
Del Hierro added that making some home modifications can help keep the cost down and your loved ones in their own home.
My family opted to go this route when it became clear that my mother wanted to continue living at home. We started preparing things around the house, making modifications around the house. Some of the things that were included in that were adding extra lighting to the house, adding some handlebars or bars in the bathroom, in the shower, in the toilet area, to make sure that my mom could get in and out.
We also brought in a certified nursing assistant to help with tasks around the house when my siblings and I weren’t available.
Seniorly found the cost for home health aides in Virginia and Maryland was between $5,200 to $5,400 a month, not too far behind D.C.’s.
However, cost can vary widely based on how much care your loved one actually needs.
In D.C., that money can go a long way. The District of Columbia ranks No. 3 on the list of the best places in the country for senior care staffing.
But as demand for care goes up, it could get harder and harder to find quality care. The American Health Association said 4.1 million people will turn 65 this year; many could end up in assisted living facilities for care.
“The caregivers do impact the experience, impact the quality of care,” del Hierro said.
Seniorly evaluated the best senior care staffing by looking at facilities around the country and found D.C. had the lowest staff turnover rate and a high ratio of home health aides for people 75 and older.
So, how can you find a well-staffed facility in your area? Experts said these are some other important questions to ask:
- What are the qualifications?
- What are they looking at when they’re hiring someone?
- Do they have to have some type of certification? An LPN? An RN?
- What really qualifies someone to be working at that specific community?
- Check for any violations, take a tour of the facility and get recommendations.
- Also, find out what the staffing level is, how they train staff and how often.
“People are continuing to get older — you can’t stop that. There are systems that are coming about that are making sure we are improving and being better as an industry,” del Hierro said.
As for my mom, she eventually needed to undergo physical and occupational therapy, on top of the in-home care she was receiving. She died in early January.
I remember my mom was vibrant and upbeat and she took care of everybody. And just to see her not able to take care of herself or her family — it was hard to watch.
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