Before reading this post, I must note that SonderCare’s PR team sent this to me. This was a study they did and I’m not sure about its efficacy. Did they only research where their products are sold? I’m not sure, however, because it was interesting, I’m sharing.
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A new study has named Iowa the best state for access to elderly care.
Home hospital bed provider SonderCare researched which states offer the best access to elderly care. They examined several factors, including the number of nursing homes and respite facilities per 100,000 residents, occupancy rates, monthly costs of private and semi-private nursing homes, and the percentage of nursing homes with zero deficiencies.
Based on these metrics, an overall ‘Care Score’ was calculated to identify the states offering the best access to elderly care.
1. Iowa – Care Score: 70.67 out of 100
Iowa is ranked as the state offering the best access to elderly care, achieving an overall care score of 70.67 out of 100.
Iowa has 412 nursing homes per 100,000 residents, the 12th highest number in America. It also has 112 respite facilities per 100,000 residents, the 16th highest number in the country. Overall, Iowa’s nursing homes have an occupancy rate of 71%. This means that 71% of the nursing homes in the state are occupied, the tenth lowest number in the country.
The monthly cost of a semi-private room in a nursing home in Iowa is $6,874 on average, which is the tenth cheapest in America. Meanwhile, the monthly fee for a private room in a nursing home is $7,452, also making it the tenth cheapest state for this factor.
The percentage of nursing homes in Iowa that do not have any deficiencies is 10%. Deficiencies are given to nursing homes for any problems that may result in a negative impact on the health and safety of the facility. The average deficiency rate in the country is 6%, this places Iowa above the average rate.
2. Oklahoma – Care Score: 66.06 out of 100
The state offering the second-best access to elderly care is Oklahoma, with a care score of 66.06 out of 100.
There are 292 nursing homes per 100,000 residents in Oklahoma, the 20th highest amount in the US. There are also a total of 55 respite facilities per 100,000 state residents, which is the 22nd lowest in the country. The occupancy rate in Oklahoma is 58%, which is the second lowest in America.
The cost of a semi-private room in a nursing home is $5,475 a month, while a private room costs $6,083 a month on average, ranking Oklahoma as the third cheapest for both of these categories.
The percentage of nursing homes in the state with zero deficiencies is 7%, which is just above the national average (6%).
3. Missouri – Care Score: 63.34 out of 100
Missouri is third on this list, with an overall care score of 63.34 out of 100.
There are 510 nursing homes per 100,000 people in Missouri, the ninth-highest amount in America. There are also 125 respite facilities per 100,000 residents, the 15th highest in the country. Missouri has an overall occupancy rate of 64% the fourth lowest in the US.
A semi-private nursing home room costs $5,262 per month, ranking it the second cheapest in the country. The monthly cost for a private nursing home room is around $5,931, which is the cheapest in the US.
The percentage of nursing homes in Missouri that do not have any deficiencies is 2%; this is below the national average.
4. Louisiana – Care Score: 59.95 out of 100
Louisiana offers the fourth-best access to elderly care in America, with an overall care score of 59.95 out of 100.
There are 269 nursing homes per 100,000 residents in Louisiana, the 23rd highest in the US. There are a total of 81 respite facilities per 100,000 residents, which is the 24th highest in the country. The nursing homes in Louisiana have an overall occupancy rate of 68%, the seventh lowest in America.
A semi-private nursing home room costs $5,759 monthly, the fourth cheapest in America. A private nursing home room costs $6,060 monthly, the second most affordable in the country.
The percentage of nursing homes in Missouri with no deficiencies is 8%, the ninth lowest in America.
5. South Dakota – Care Score: 58.25 out of 100
Fifth on the list is South Dakota, with a care score of 58.25 out of 100.
There are 98 nursing homes in South Dakota per 100,000 residents, the 14th lowest in the country. There is also a total of 12 respite facilities per 100,000 residents, the second lowest. The nursing homes in South Dakota have an occupancy rate of 83% which is the fifth highest in America.
A semi-private nursing home room costs $7,118 per month, the 13th cheapest in the country. Meanwhile, a private nursing home room costs $7,604 monthly, the 11th cheapest in America.
The percentage of nursing homes in South Dakota with no deficiencies is 17%, which is significantly above the national average.
6. Kansas – Care Score: 57.02 out of 100
Kansas is sixth on the list, with an overall care score of 57.02 out of 100.
There are 313 nursing homes per 100,000 people in Kansas, the 18th highest amount in the US. There are 62 respite facilities per 100,000 residents, the 16th lowest in the country. The nursing homes in Kansas have an occupancy rate of 77%, the 16th lowest in America.
A semi-private nursing home room costs around $6,296 per month, the seventh cheapest in America. The cost of a private nursing home room is $6,813 per month, which is the fifth cheapest.
The percentage of nursing homes in Kansas with no deficiencies is 5%, which is below the national average.
7. Montana – Care Score: 56.67 out of 100
Seventh on the list is Montana, with an overall care score of 56.67 out of 100.
There are a total of 62 nursing homes per 100,000 residents in Montana, the sixth lowest amount in the US. There are also 29 respite facilities per 100,000 residents, ranking Montana as the ninth lowest. The nursing homes in Montana have an occupancy rate of 57%, the lowest rate in the US.
A semi-private nursing home room costs $7,574 per month, ranking Montana as the 21st cheapest in the US. A private nursing home room costs $8,060 per month, the 17th cheapest in America.
The percentage of nursing homes in Montana that do not have any deficiencies is 5%, which is again below the national average.
8. North Carolina – Care Score: 53.49 out of 100
Eighth on the list is North Carolina, with an overall care score of 53.49 out of 100.
There are 420 nursing homes per 100,000 people in North Carolina, the 11th largest amount in America. There are 430 respite facilities per 100,000 residents, which is the second highest in the country. The nursing homes in North Carolina have an occupancy rate of 76%, the 15th lowest in America.
The cost of a semi-private nursing home room is $7,483 per month which is the 19th cheapest in America. A private nursing home room costs $8,213 per month, the 18th cheapest in the nation.
The percentage of nursing homes in North Carolina with no deficiencies is 4% – which is below the national average.
9. Wisconsin – Care Score: 53.46 out of 100
Wisconsin is the ninth state on the list, with an overall care score of 53.46 out of 100.
There are a total of 332 nursing homes per 100,000 residents in Wisconsin, which is the 16th largest number in the country. There are also 132 respite facilities per 100,000 residents, the 13th largest in America. The nursing homes in Wisconsin have an overall occupancy rate of 67%, the eighth lowest in the country.
A semi-private nursing home room costs $9,022 per month, ranking the state as the 20th most expensive in America. A private nursing home room costs $9,733 monthly, ranking it the 21st most expensive.
The percentage of nursing homes in Wisconsin with no deficiencies is 14%, which is significantly higher than the national average.
10. Nebraska – Care Score: 53.07 out of 100
Last on the list is Nebraska, with an overall care score of 53.07 out of 100.
There are 185 nursing homes per 100,000 residents in Nebraska, the 18th lowest number in the country. There are 33 respite facilities per 100,000 residents; this is the tenth lowest in America. The nursing homes in Nebraska have an occupancy rate of 69% ranking the state as the eighth lowest in the country.
A semi-private nursing home room costs $7,483 monthly, the 19th cheapest in America. A private nursing home room costs $8,289 per month, making it the 19th cheapest in the country.
The percentage of nursing homes in Nebraska with no deficiencies is 6% equivalent to the national average.
The states offering the best access to elderly care
|
Rank |
State |
‘Care score’ (out of 100) |
|
1. |
Iowa |
70.67 |
|
2. |
Oklahoma |
66.06 |
|
3. |
Missouri |
63.34 |
|
4. |
Louisiana |
59.95 |
|
5. |
South Dakota |
58.25 |
|
6. |
Kansas |
57.02 |
|
7. |
Montana |
56.67 |
|
8. |
North Carolina |
53.49 |
|
9. |
Wisconsin |
53.46 |
|
10. |
Nebraska |
53.07 |
Kyle Sobko, CEO of SonderCare, commented:
“Providing the best care for the elderly population is more important than ever, given that a growing proportion of Americans are living further into old age than they did previously.
“In fact, the percentage of the US population over the age of 65 has grown by more than 4% in the past 12 years, 13.1% in 2010 compared to 17.3% in 2022.
“This data provides a clear insight into which states currently offer the best access to elderly care and outlines the factors contributing to this. One of the most positive outcomes of this study was that the national average for the number of deficiencies in care homes in each state is low, with an average of 0.06%.
“The most surprising finding from this study is that Alaska ranks overwhelmingly as the most expensive state for elderly care, both semi-private and private. The cost of a room in a private nursing home in Alaska is $31,512 per month, this is more than $16,300 more than the second most expensive state, Connecticut. It is significantly more expensive than the cheapest state, Missouri. A room in a private nursing home in the state costs $5,931, which is over $25,500 cheaper than a room in Alaska.”
The states offering the best access to elderly care – full ranking
|
Rank |
State |
‘Care Score’ (out of 100) |
|
1. |
Iowa |
70.67 |
|
2. |
Oklahoma |
66.06 |
|
3. |
Missouri |
63.34 |
|
4. |
Louisiana |
59.95 |
|
5. |
South Dakota |
58.25 |
|
6. |
Kansas |
57.02 |
|
7. |
Montana |
56.67 |
|
8. |
North Carolina |
53.49 |
|
9. |
Wisconsin |
53.46 |
|
10. |
Nebraska |
53.07 |
|
11. |
Texas |
52.23 |
|
12. |
Alabama |
51.26 |
|
13. |
Kentucky |
50.95 |
|
14. |
Wyoming |
49.63 |
|
15. |
Pennsylvania |
49.09 |
|
16. |
Illinois |
48.33 |
|
17. |
Vermont |
48.15 |
|
18. |
South Carolina |
47.86 |
|
19. |
Georgia |
47.79 |
|
20. |
Arkansas |
47.49 |
|
21. |
Tennessee |
47.36 |
|
22. |
Utah |
46.97 |
|
23. |
Indiana |
46.79 |
|
24. |
Ohio |
45.14 |
|
25. |
Arizona |
43.36 |
|
26. |
Mississippi |
42.87 |
|
27. |
Idaho |
40.50 |
|
28. |
Oregon |
40.11 |
|
29. |
Minnesota |
37.13 |
|
30. |
New Hampshire |
35.88 |
|
31. |
Colorado |
35.32 |
|
32. |
New Mexico |
34.69 |
|
33. |
Rhode Island |
33.70 |
|
34. |
Michigan |
33.40 |
|
35. |
Washington |
32.71 |
|
36. |
New Jersey |
32.63 |
|
37. |
North Dakota |
32.29 |
|
38. |
Virginia |
31.62 |
|
39. |
Maryland |
28.52 |
|
40. |
Maine |
27.92 |
|
41. |
Florida |
27.85 |
|
42. |
Delaware |
27.75 |
|
43. |
Nevada |
26.13 |
|
44. |
Massachusetts |
24.84 |
|
45. |
New York |
21.45 |
|
46. |
Alaska |
21.41 |
|
47. |
Connecticut |
21.25 |
|
48. |
West Virginia |
21.18 |
|
49. |
Hawaii |
19.15 |
|
50. |
California |
18.61 |
Special thanks to Sondercare for providing this story. https://www.sondercare.com
