From the summary:
- The national average daily rate for a private room in a nursing home is $248, while a semi-private room is $222 up from $239 and $214 respectively in 2011.
- The national average monthly base rate in an assisted living community rose from $3,477 in 2011 to $3,550 in 2012.
- The national average daily rate for adult day services remained unchanged from 2011 at $70 in 2012.
- The national average: hourly rates for home health aides ($21) remained unchanged, while the homemaker hourly rate increased by 5.3% from $19 in 2011 to $20 in 2012.
The 2011 Assisted Living Staff Vacancy, Retention and Turnover Survey is a nationwide study to collect retention, vacancy and turnover information among assisted living employees in five major job categories and sixteen job positions, including: administrative and management staff (Administrator/Executive Director, Director of Marketing, and other office staff), nursing staff (Director of Nursing/ Wellness and Director of Resident Services, Staff Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse, Certified Nurse Assistant, Non-Certified Resident Caregiver, Medication Aide, and other nursing staff), food services staff (Dietician Director/Head Chef and Dietician Aide/Dining Staff), housekeeping and maintenance staff (Housekeeper and Maintenance Worker), and social activities staff (Director of Activities and Activity Staff) (see Table 1). The survey questionnaire (see Appendix) was available on the NCAL web site for all eligible assisted living communities in the United States to complete using data from 2011. Approximately 370 assisted living communities nationwide participated in this survey.
In this report, results are presented on two aggregated levels: job category level and job position level. Retention rate, vacancy rate, and turnover rate for all five job categories (see Table 1) were reported. Results are also presented for nursing job positions.
From the summary:
The national average daily rate for a private room in a nursing home rose 4.4% from $229 in 2010 to $239 in 2011.
The national average monthly base rate in an assisted living community rose 5.6% from $3,293 in 2010 to $3,477 in 2011.
The national average daily rate for adult day services rose 4.5% from $67 in 2010 to $70 in 2011.
The national average hourly rates for home health aides ($21) and homemakers ($19) were unchanged from 2010.
]]>From the summary:
This survey provides national, statewide, and, in certain states (based on population), area-specific costs, average private-pay, daily rates for private and semi-private rooms in a nursing home, monthly base rates in assisted living communities, hourly rates for home health aide and homemaker services, and daily rates for adult day services.
The current economic crisis has many state aging directors grappling with difficult decisions on budget cuts and reductions in services. Not since the late eighties has the economy looked as sluggish. The most challenging times in the economy increase demand for state planning, budgeting, and monitoring for services that are delivered at the community level on everything from providing assistance with heating bills to providing home delivered meals as well as all types of home health supports.
The National Association of State Units on Aging (NASUA) surveyed its members to gauge the impact of the economic downturn on aging services. The members of NASUA are the nation's 56 officially designated state and territorial agencies on aging, often referred to as State Units on Aging (SUAs). This is the second survey on the economy that NASUA completed in 2008. The first survey was conducted in June 2008. The most recent and more extensive survey was conducted in November. Forty-four states and the District of Columbia responded to the survey.
]]>From the press release:
For the first time in history, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today released quality ratings for each of the nation's 15,800 nursing homes that participate in Medicare or Medicaid.
Consulting with a panel of experts from academia, patient advocacy and nursing home provider groups, CMS developed the rating system based on each nursing home's performance in three critical areas:
* Health inspection surveys. Each year state and federal surveyors conduct about 15,800 on-site, comprehensive assessments of each nursing home's health care services and compliance with federal/state rules. These surveys are designed to help protect the health and safety of residents, including resident's rights and general quality of life. Surveyors also conduct about 50,000 complaint investigations each year. Information from the most recent three years of survey findings were used to develop the ratings.
* Quality measures. The quality rating system uses 10 key quality measures out of the 19 that can be found on the Nursing Home Compare Web site. Areas examined include the percent of at-risk residents who have pressure ulcers (bed sores) after their first 90 days in the nursing home, the number of residents whose mobility worsened after admission, and whether residents received the proper medical care.
* Staffing information. There is strong evidence that low staffing levels can comprise the level of patient care in a nursing home and is considered an important indicator of quality. This measure reports the number of hours of nursing and other staff care per patient per day. This measure is adjusted to account for the level of illness and services required by each facility's residents.
Before January 2006 and the implementation of Medicare Part D, dual-eligible assisted living residents (those who receive Medicaid and Medicare benefits) were exempted from remitting co-payments for their prescription drugs. The exemption from co-payments was also applicable to individuals residing in skilled nursing homes, as well.
Under the new Medicare Part D program, however, dual-eligible residents in assisted living communities are not exempt from prescription drug co-payments. This has created a severe financial hardship for these residents who are already living on very low incomes. The only discretionary income most of these residents have is a Personal Needs Allowance (PNA)—frequently less than $60 per month. Residents use the PNA to pay for clothing, personal hygiene items, over-the-counter medications, and any other necessary items they need. To have to use this meager allowance to cover prescription drug co-pays is a true hardship.
]]>Assisted living is regulated differently in each state. In most states, assisted living is licensed as a single entity that provides housing and services to residents. However, in a growing number of states a new model of assisted living has emerged, in which the housing and services are separate. In this model, the building is not licensed, but instead makes arrangements with licensed service agencies to provide services to residents. Findings are based on a review of the laws and regulations and interviews with key informants in four states.
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