According to the Met Life Market Survey of Long-Term Care Costs, in 2001 the vast majority (87%) of nursing homes provided Alzheimer’s or dementia care for patients. While some nursing homes do charge more for Alzheimer’s and dementia care, 80% of the surveyed nursing homes charge the same fees for care of patients with these diseases as they charge for the care of patients without mental limitations.
Nationally, a private room for an Alzheimer’s or dementia patient was $251 per day, or $91,615 per year. A semi-private room for an Alzheimer’s or dementia patient was $222 per day, or $81,030 per year.
Security is an issue for nursing homes providing care to patients with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Often, patients wander or become disoriented and unaware of their surroundings. 36% of nursing homes have a separate wing or unit for these types of patients, and only 1% of nursing homes surveyed reported that the entire facility cares for these patients.
When looking for a nursing home for long-term or short-term care of seniors with memory problems, it is important to consider the types of security the facility offers to ensure the patient’s safety. The breakdown of the most common types of security found in nursing homes is below.
- 78% of nursing homes have a locked unit for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients
- 9% of nursing homes have alarms on the doors of private or semi-private rooms or the exterior doors of the facility
- 7% have no security measures in place, and rely on their staff to ensure patient safety
- 6% have monitors that residents wear to track their location or set off alarms for the staff should the patient venture outside of permitted areas.
