Top 15 Most Expensive States for Long-Term Care: 2015

Boomers are not happy campers when it comes to the cost of health care in retirement, and they have cause.

Genworth Financial’s annual study on the cost of long-term care highlights the way that costs have continued to rise. The study’s figures for the most expensive states in which to receive care certainly give weight to boomer fears.

An Insured Retirement Institute report has also found that boomers are the least confident they’ve been in five years about having enough money to get through retirement; one of the expenses causing the most worry is health care.

Fully 81% of boomers don’t feel financially prepared to cope with LTC needs, according to IRI. In addition, 28% are looking to postpone retirement until age 70 or later, because they don’t believe they have enough money to deal with the expenses, including health care, that retirement will bring.

Genworth’s study points out that LTC costs in other ways, too. It reports that 46% of unpaid family caregivers for those who remain at home end up footing a bill of more than $5,000 annually for a myriad of expenses, from last-minute grocery purchases to putting in grab bars in the shower for a loved one. Then there are the hefty demands on a caregiver’s time and attention, which can negatively affect everything from her job to her health.

LTC is expensive; no way around that. Since Genworth’s study provides insights on how much the cost varies from state to state, perhaps some people might want to contemplate relaocating to a state where care is more affordable — and there is a tremendous difference among states.

(Related: Top 15 Cheapest States for Long-Term Care Costs: 2016 and Top 15 Most Expensive States for Long-Term Care: 2016)

According to the senior living referral service A Place for Mom, prices for all types of senior living, including independent living facilities, hit record highs in 2014 — not a reassuring trend. In addition, facilities providing “memory care” (care for those with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia) and assisted living are increasing in cost in the West and Midwest faster than in other parts of the country.

For the 12th year, Genworth’s Cost of Care Survey, conducted by CareScout, provides not just the data, but includes a mobile app on Genworth’s website and an interactive map. The data, from more than 47,000 provider survey outreaches, comes from 440 regions across the country, covering all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Also included are potential cost growth rates, as well as a look at how expenses in each category have risen over the past 5 years.

 Keep reading for the 15 most expensive states for long-term care:

15. Oregon

Average Annual Cost: $55,338

Adult day care: $23,010

Licensed home care: $49,764

Assisted living: $46,560

Nursing home (private room): $102,018

14. Maryland

Average Annual Cost: $55,547

Adult day care: $20,540

Licensed home care: $44,616

Assisted living: $46,800

Nursing home (private room): $110,230

13. North Dakota

Average Annual Cost: $55,805

Adult day care:$19,562

Licensed home care: $59,854

Assisted living: $38,865

Nursing home (private room): $104,938

12. Washington

Average Annual Cost: $58,196

Adult day care: $17,563

Licensed home care: $54,088

Assisted living: $55,500

Nursing home (private room): $105,631

11. Vermont

Average Annual Cost: $58,386

Adult day care: $32,136

Licensed home care: $48,048

Assisted living: $48,240

Nursing home (private room): $105,120

10. Rhode Island

Average Annual Cost: $59,518

Adult day care: $17,290

Licensed home care: $53,768

Assisted living: $63,900

Nursing home (private room): $103,113

9. Maine

Average Annual Cost: $60,923

Adult day care: $28,080

Licensed home care: $50,336

Assisted living: $57,600

Nursing home (private room): $107,675