How Nursing Homes Fit Into the Expensive Housing Dilemma for Aging Adults

How Nursing Homes Fit Into the Expensive Housing Dilemma for Aging Adults

Skilled Nursing News

November 30, 2023

The costs of long-term care in every setting, including nursing homes, is considered out of reach for most seniors, averaging more than $100 per day nationwide. This is coupled with the fact that the majority of older adults with very low incomes will need such services and have the fewest resources to pay for them. That’s according to a report published on Thursday by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, which largely focused on housing options for older adults. Robert Kramer, co-founder and strategic advisor for the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care and panelist on the webinar, expanded on this sentiment, adding that there is a large group of seniors that don’t qualify for government support, but can’t afford most other options out there that are more on the private pay end. “This report educates and informs the fact that wherever you want (to receive care), that combination of housing and care is really expensive ... we need to collaborate on solutions,” he said. ... Moving forward, Kramer said long-term care providers and government entities must innovate and scale care offerings and settings to bridge the gap. ... Meghan Rose, general counsel and chief government affairs officer with LeadingAge CA spoke briefly on providing dual-eligible beneficiaries with a “full array of wraparound services” to really address the gap between Medicare and Medi-Cal (California’s Medicaid program) coverage.

[Editor’s Note: For additional coverage of the Joint Center for Housing Studies’ report, see “Baby Boomers Face ‘Urgent Need’ for More Affordable Senior Housing Options“ in Senior Housing News.]