Costs for nursing homes in New Jersey, assisted living facilities and some in-home care services have risen for the fifth consecutive year and might continue to rise unless more long-term care workers can be found, according to a new survey by Genworth Financial.

A private room in a NJ nursing home now costs $108,000 a year or $300+ daily, a 27 percent increase since 2004, Genworth’s Cost of Care survey found. A semiprivate room in a nursing home is now $78,408.

The cost of assisted living facilities is shooting up even faster, having risen 25 percent since 2004 to a current average of $48,090 a year for a one-bedroom unit. Assisted living costs ranged from a high of $4,921 a month in New Jersey to a low of $1,981 a month in Arkansas.

While the cost of in-home care by workers who are not certified by Medicare remained about the same, at an average hourly rate of $18 for homemaker services and $19 for home health aide services, the cost of a Medicare-certified home health aide rose to an average $38 an hour.

The survey also priced adult day care for the first time, finding that the daily cost is averaging $59, or about $15,000 a year for five days a week of care.  Adult day care facilities provide care and companionship outside of the home and give the elderly a chance to interact with peers. Sometimes based in a community center, the facilities can provide social or therapeutic activities and provide supervision for participants with cognitive problems.

The study, which was conducted by CareScout on behalf of Genworth, surveyed more than 40,000 providers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Fredrick P. Niemann, Esq., a NJ Elder Law and Medicaid Attorney commented that the Genworth Cost Survey does not accurately list the scope of assisted living, nursing home and home health care costs in NJ.  Mr. Niemann advises readers that 24/7 home health care costs range from $140-$220 per day with 8 hours sleep for the caregiver; hourly home health care companies charge between $16-$22 per hour of care; nursing home care costs $7,800-$11,000 per month; social day care centers cost around $80-$90 per 8 hour day with assisted living costs ranging from $3,500-$7,500 per month.  Northern and central NJ facilities are generally the highest in the state with southwest NJ and northwest NJ somewhat lower.

Medicaid Attorneys serving these New Jersey Counties:

Monmouth County, Ocean County, Essex County, Cape May County, Mercer 

County, Middlesex County, Bergen County, Morris County, Burlington County, 

Union County, Somerset County, Hudson County, Passaic County