Costs of nursing homes?

Question

why are nursing homes so expensive? There are so many people that need this kind of care. Is the cost high so that only the wealthy can be taken care of? Then everyone else has to make do with state run facilities?

Sometimes the family can no longer care for a relative, because of medical reasons beyond their abilities. Is there anything a family can do?

Answer 1

These places are open 24 / 7 /  365. And are staffed as such. Just the cost to run them is sky high.

  No, there's nothing we can do. The government isn't going to help us.

Answer 2

Like Carl said, they run 24 hours a day. They need to pay lots of people to keep those things going. Even the private ones aren't really that profitable, its enough to pay the owners but it isn't a buisness you go into to strike it rich. The top of the big chains may make the money, but really most of the cost is absorbed by the care.

They need to worry about paying RNs/ LPNs and CNAs 24 hours a day, housekeeping, laundry, maintence, dietary, OT, PT, administrators, staffing, HR, and anyone else they may need.

They also have lots of expensive supplies and equipment to pay for. Food is very expensive, and there are also all sorts of little things like diapers and soap you may not think about that add up.

Medications would also figure into the cost, along with expensive equipment like the special hospital beds and lifts. Even the trashcans need to be special, where I work it costs over $200 for a tiny bathroom trashcan because it needs to be puncture proof and fire proof. There is a BIG markup on these items. If anyone is to blame its those companies, but they also put the money toward research so if they don't mark it up we may not get the fancy new equipment that saves lives. Its a tough balance to find, and no one really has the ability to see the whole picture.