Families Face a Steep Price Tag for Aging Care As older adults stay healthy later in life, their longer lifespans also increase the likelihood that they will eventually need some kind of long-term care help. Louisiana is $5,100 a month, or $61,200 a year. Nationwide, the median cost of these facilities is $5,900 a month, or $70,800 a year. THE SOARING COST OF AGING
Louisiana, with two patients to a room, costs $7,483 a month, or $89,796 a year. The bad news, however, is that those costs exceed the state’s median household income of $60,023 by nearly 50%. If you want your loved one to have a private room, the cost increases to $7,604 a month. Nationwide, the median cost is much higher, at $9,555 a month, or $114,660 a year, for a semi-private room, and $10,965 a month, or $131,580 a year, for a private room. The outlook isn’t getting better. Nursing home costs are projected to rise by 16% by 2030. Assisted Living Assisted living facilities provide some help with housekeeping, social activities, maintenance, and meals, but they offer no medical care or specialized assistance for people with dementia or disabilities. The median cost of an assisted living facility in
Home Care Louisiana residents pay about $35 an hour, or roughly $220 a day, for a home health aide. These employees are trained to provide assistance with activities of daily living, housekeeping, and some medical needs, plus some companionship. That adds up to about $50,336 a year, or 80% of the state’s median household income. How do families cover these costs? They turn to almost every private financing option in the books — savings, cashing out IRAs, borrowing from life insurance policies, selling their homes, taking home-equity lines of credit, or getting reverse mortgages. For information about drawing on help from Medicaid, see Page 3 of this issue.
In recognition of October as Long-Term Care Planning Month, this is a good time to explore the latest data on long-term care costs in Louisiana. Even if you have Medicare and private health insurance, you are on your own if you or your loved one needs long- term care. Medicare typically covers only hospice care and up to 100 days in a skilled- care facility following a hospital stay — not custodial care. Nursing Home Care The good news is that our state offers the fourth-lowest median care costs in the country, according to an annual survey by Genworth, a financial services provider. A semi-private room in a nursing home in
Inspired by TheCookieRookie.com Extra-Crispy Ranch Chicken Cutlets INGREDIENTS
• Olive oil • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste • 3/4 cup flour • 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese • 1 oz ranch seasoning, store-bought (1 packet) or homemade • Cooking spray
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with olive oil and set aside. 2. Season both sides of chicken breasts with salt and pepper. 3. Set out three shallow bowls. In the first, combine flour and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the eggs to the second bowl. Mix panko, Parmesan, and ranch seasoning mix in the third bowl. 4. For coating, dip seasoned chicken breasts in flour, coating both sides. Then, dip the chicken in the beaten eggs and, finally, the panko mixture. 5. Place each coated chicken breast in the prepared baking dish. 6. Spray the tops of the chicken with cooking spray. 7. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165 F and is golden brown.
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