Caregiverlist® Announces Alaska Nursing Home Rating and Cost Index for April 2015
(PRWEB) April 27, 2015 -- Seniors in Alaska 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.
Alaska seniors 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. This month’s update of the Alaska Caregiverlist® Index, indicates that the average cost of a nursing home in Alaska is $641.60 a day, or about $19,250 per month. Of the 18 total Alaska nursing homes, over half rate 4-stars or better. No nursing homes in Alaska receive a 1-star rating or below on the Caregiverlist® Star Rating. Alaska has the highest nursing home costs in the nation.
Caregiverlist® Rating Criteria National Averages for Alaska Nursing Homes
April, 2015, 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%
November, 2014, Caregiverlist® Alaska Nursing Home Rating and Cost Index
Total Number of Nursing Homes: 18
Average Cost Varies by State
Average Cost of Private Room for Alaska: $641.60
Average Cost of Shared Room for Alaska: $666.17
Average Star-Rating: 3.1
Alaska Nursing Home Star-Rating Results
5-Star: 4
4-Star: 6
3-Star: 4
2-Star: 4
1-Star: 0
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.
Alaska 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. The average annual cost of a nursing home in Alaska is at $234,184.00. Low-income seniors in Alaska 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® Alaska 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.
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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