CONTACT
Barb Tyler, Office of Communications (402) 471-3486
Barb.tyler@nebraska.gov
“Caring is Essential" Theme for 2020
LINCOLN - Grandparents Day, the first Sunday following the Labor Day holiday, marks the beginning of National Assisted Living Week each year.
National Assisted Living Week offers an opportunity to explore the benefits and lifestyles of assisted living communities. This year's theme, “Caring is Essential," recognizes the role of assisted living staff in caring for seniors and those with disabilities, with a nod to those frontline caregivers fighting COVID-19.
Assisted living offers many benefits to residents. While many seniors lead active lives, others may find that parts of their life have become difficult. Assisted living can eliminate the burden of home maintenance and increase social interaction. Assisted living costs are usually lower than a nursing home, and privacy is more easily maintained. Many assisted living residents require only custodial care, such as medication management, housekeeping and having meals provided.
Roughly 800,000-900,000 people are in assisted living facilities nationwide. In Nebraska, there are 268 licensed assisted living communities with 13,290 licensed beds. The average cost per resident is $3,844 per month, which is lower than the national average of $4,000 (Genworth Cost of Care Survey, 2018) per month.
Almost 70% of Americans will need long-term care at some point in their life; by 2040, it is estimated that there will be over 14 million people aged 85 and older, with a 7:1 ratio female majority. Nebraskans age 85 and older are projected to increase 163% from 2010 to 2050 (UNO, Dept. of Gerontology). In 2019, the population of those aged 75+ in Nebraska surpassed the population of those under age five.
Long-term care facilities account for a sliver of the U.S. population but more than 40% of the deaths are from COVID-19. Rapid coronavirus tests are being made available this month and are being shipped to assisted living communities. New Abbott has developed rapid coronavirus tests that can deliver results in 15 minutes, with a nominal cost. The Defense Department will be in charge of getting these tests to the more than 20,000 assisted living facilities.