I would have linked any article with the title –”Long Term Care Costs Cheapest at Home”, but the fact that this article comes from the Money section of “U.S. News and World Report” makes it even more exciting.  You should read it for yourself, but for those of you who are pressed for time, I’ll give you some bullets.
In-home Care cost for caregivers is stable:

The good news in the survey is that costs for in-home care — where nearly 80 percent of people prefer being cared for — have risen very little during the past five years.

(Did you catch that part about 80% of the elderly population preferring in-home caregivers instead of being placed in an Assisted Living or Nursing Home facility?)

Moving on, it tells us why this is something that we, as a nation, need to be talking about.

At some point, two-thirds of us over the age of 65 will need someone or someplace to take care of us. Illness or physical disabilities will make it impossible to perform what are called the activities of daily living (ADL) by ourselves. These include dressing, eating, bathing, and using the bathroom.

Finally, it is important to see the part of the study about the success that family home care companies have in keeping people safe and in their home.  

Expanding on the survey’s findings about home care, Ludden says, “I think the most important thing around in-home care is that you have a network of people in the community who are able to support you.” Many people feel, she adds, that people who start with in-home care will eventually be forced to go into an assisted living facility or a nursing home. But that’s not borne out by Genworth’s claims experience. Nearly 70 percent of the people who begin receiving in-home care under the company’s policies stay at home throughout the time they need care.

Our parents, spouses, and loved ones are going to need help at some point in their life, most all of them would prefer to have a caregiver perform in-home care services for them instead of moving to a facility, and real world results show that In-home Care companies can provide that service successfully.  None of this is shocking news to those of us who provide this type of care for a living, but I hope it provides peace of mind for those who have a family member with Alzheimer’s, Dementia, heart problems, or any of the other long chronic illnesses that are becoming so common in our Senior Adult population.  While needing help is never a fun thing, at least you know that help is here when you need it.

By 2020 Iowa will need 95,000 paid caregivers. The average annual turnover rate for the profession in the state is more than 60 percent, according to the Iowa CareGivers Association. The organization founded by Di Findley, a 13-year nurse aide, estimates that to keep up with the turnover, Iowa employers spent $193 million to recruit and train new staff in 2012.

During the last generation, the US saw great growth in the Nursing Home industry.  Baby Boomers often put their parents in homes, and then, after experiencing what facility care was like, made their children promise never to put them there.  They have saved money and are determined to remain at home as senior adults.  They are ready to bring caregivers into their home; the real question is will there be enough caregivers?