“We are not closing our memory care unit. Rather, we are transitioning a memory care area from a nursing home unit to an assisted living unit,” said Lauren Coyle, Bethany Village administrator. “This is in an effort to navigate changing industry standards and to continue raising the bar on the innovative and supportive memory care services our aging population requires.”
Credit: Lisa Powell
Credit: Lisa Powell
By expanding Bethany Village’s assisted living offering and gradually reducing the number of skilled nursing home beds in its memory care unit, “we are positioning Bethany Village to better meet the changing needs of older adults in our community,” Coyle said.
The supply of assisted living increased by 15% from 2020 to 2023, representing 55 beds per 1,000 adults 75 and older, according to AARP’s Long-Term Services & Supports Scorecard.
Assisted living vs. nursing home costs
Reducing the number of skilled nursing home beds in a memory care unit is a trend the Dayton Ombudsman’s Office has been seeing more frequently.
“Some places they find that it is too costly,” said Ombudsman Chip Wilkins. “We’ve seen that with a number of facilities that have shut down their memory care units because you have to staff that area a little differently, and it can be challenging for some.”
Nursing home beds require 24/7 medical oversight, whereas assisted living focuses on personal assistance and light medical support.
Assisted living in general averages $5,900 per month, while nursing homes average $9,277 per month for a semi-private room and $10,646 per month for a private room, according to the 2024 Cost of Care Survey conducted by Genworth and CareScout.
Genworth Financial Inc. provides long-term care insurance, mortgage insurance and life insurance products. CareScout, a subsidiary of Genworth, provides guidance on long-term care, such as through its annual survey of providers. Its most recent survey for 2024, compared to 2023 costs, found:
- Assisted living community costs increased by 10% to an annual national median cost of $70,800 per year. Occupancy rates increased year-over-year, from 77% to 84%, which may be pressuring supply and driving higher rates.
- The national annual median cost of a semi-private room in a nursing home rose to $111,325, an increase of 7%, while the cost of a private room in a nursing home increased 9% to $127,750.
Bethany Village changes
Bethany Village is seeing more demand for assisted living space, Coyle said, but the continuum of care community will still have skilled nursing home beds.
Bethany Village currently has 250 nursing home units, and after the transition, will have 200 nursing home units, according to Coyle.
“This sort of shifting and reclassification is not new as health care and population needs change in our society,” Coyle said. “We’ve seen similar expansions of services in the past as Bethany has continually evolved to meet the growing needs from the aging community and population in this region.”
In the past, Bethany Village added cottages and villas, as well as expanded apartment sizes, she said.
This change will allow for additional memory care support at the assisted living stage, according to Coyle. This will be a gradual transition, and no employee positions will be eliminated, she said.
“This is not creating a gap, but rather filling one as the aging population evolves,” Coyle said.
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