Caregiverlist® Reports Wisconsin Nursing Home Rating and Cost Index for November 2016
Chicago, Illinois (PRWEB) November 22, 2016 -- The November 2016 Caregiverlist® Index reports the average annual cost for a semi-private room in a Wisconsin nursing home is $77,380, or approximately $6,448 per month. The daily private nursing home rate has risen from $211 to $236 and the average cost of a semi-private room has risen from $196 to $212 per day since May, 2015.
Seniors in Wisconsin looking to plan ahead for senior care options should first understand the daily costs of nursing homes in their area and review the most important factors indicating quality of care. This is because Medicare does not pay for long-term care but does pay for short-term stays in a nursing home, usually as post-hospital stay rehabilitation.
Seniors in the Badger State needing nursing home care can now view the most recent ratings and costs of nursing homes in their area by using the interactive Caregiverlist® Nursing Home Directory. Of the 417 total Wisconsin nursing homes, over half of the homes, 231, score a 4-star rating or higher, with 5-stars being the highest score. A score of 4-star means above average. Just 26 of the nursing homes rank 1-star, the lowest quality rating. However, keep in mind that new nursing homes also will receive only a 1-star until they have had a chance to be rated.
November 2016, National Averages Weighting for Rating
2 hours, 28 minutes: C.N.A. Hours per Resident per Day 40%
15.7%: Long-stay Residents with Increasing Activities of Daily Living Needs 20%
1.0% Short-term Residents with Pressure Sores (Bed Sores) 20%
Overall Medicare Star-Rating Score 20%
Caregiverlist® Wisconsin Nursing Home Rating and Cost Index
Total Number of Nursing Homes: 417
Average Single Price: $236
Average Double Price: $212
Average Rating: 3.1 (out of 5)
Star Rating Snapshot:
5-Star: 29
4-Star: 202
3-Star: 135
2-Star: 25
1-Star: 26
The Caregiverlist® rating combines 4 criteria to calculate an overall star-rating with a 5-star rating as the highest and a 1-star rating as the lowest score, as rated against the results for the total number of nursing homes.
Wisconsin seniors and their families must remember that nursing homes have become an extension of a hospital stay and many times Medicare health insurance will authorize a hospital discharge directly to a nursing home for rehabilitation after a major medical event has happened. This means researching the right nursing home ahead of time will ease the transition should a medical emergency occur.
Costs of senior care are always a factor when choosing the right senior care option, as many seniors live on a fixed income. Low-income seniors in Wisconsin may qualify for Medicaid, with the financial qualification of no more than $2,000 in assets for individuals and a $3,000 limit for couples. Medicaid will pay for long-term care in a nursing home for as long as the senior qualifies for needing care, even if this means multiple years of care until death. Visit the Caregiverlist® Wisconsin Medicaid Eligibility Requirements for for more information. Because seniors must private pay for a nursing home if needing care beyond the number of days Medicare will reimburse (usually only up to 100 days), many seniors also explore senior home care and assisted living options. Some assisted living centers also provide nursing home care.
In-home senior care is also an option for older Wisconsinites, especially through a quality home care agency. “The cost (of in-home senior care) is variable, but usually less expensive than an assisted living,” says Jeff Huguet, Caring Partner at Nurse Next Door Home Care Services in Green Bay. “Unlike a nursing home, which can have a ratio of 20-40 patients for each caregiver or a 20/1 or a 40/1 ratio, our home care service is 1 client-1 caregiver. That 1/1 ratio allows us to focus all of our energy on the client, in their home. The costs can be as low as $60/week to an average of $1,500-$2,500/month, costs can be higher if the patient needs Skilled Nursing Care, but it will still be generally less than most nursing homes.” While in-home care may not be cost-effective for those seniors who need 24-hour care, it is often a more economical option for those seniors who wish to live independently and require only a few hours of help with the activities of daily living.
Seniors should review the ratings and costs of nursing homes in their area and then visit the nursing homes which meet their budget availability. Ratings for nursing homes are only a starting point and while the Caregiverlist® Index calculates a custom rating based on the most important criteria for quality, Medicare will only begin auditing the nursing home’s submitted information for C.N.A. staffing next year. Right now all of the information for the nursing home ratings is self-reported.
About Caregiverlist®
Caregiverlist.com® is the premier service connecting seniors and professional caregivers with the most reliable senior care options, highest quality ratings and outstanding careers nationwide. Founded by senior care professionals, Caregiverlist® delivers the efficiencies of the internet to senior care companies by providing online job applications, caregiver training, background checks and industry news. Seniors and caregivers can access senior service information “by state,” view nursing home costs and star-ratings and learn about all senior care options and quality standards. For more information, please visit http://www.caregiverlist.com.
Renata Laszuk, Caregiverlist, Inc., http://www.caregiverlist.com, +1 312-669-8821, [email protected]
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