Here are basic steps to take to get a true picture of the costs associated with each facility you're considering for your care needs.
Long term care facilities typically charge a base rate for basic care, offering per day and/or per month figures to healthcare consumers who inquire about costs. However, the care and services that are included in that base-rate care package can differ significantly from one facility to another. That means that you'll need to ask each facility for a breakdown of just what care and services you can expect to receive under that basic care rate in order to make accurate comparisons.
Most long term care facilities offer a certain number of services that are not included in their base rates. These are typically called fee-based services, and healthcare consumers who take advantage of these services must pay for them separately – incurring costs over and above the daily/monthly base rate. Each facility will have a different line-up when it comes to fee-based services, and you'll find that some services that are covered under base rates at one facility may cost extra at another. For that reason, it is essential to ask for a detailed list of fee-based services from each facility you choose to evaluate, allowing you to calculate the costs of any services you would need or want to use on a regular basis.
Once you have a clear idea of the services included in basic care and the cost of any fee-based services you would be using, adding these costs together should give you an accurate assessment of just what your total costs would be for each long term care facility on your list. Your last step is to compare those total costs between facilities in order to choose the one that offers the quality care and services you need at the best overall price.