Assisted Living Community Costs Drop in Connecticut

A new CareScout study suggests costs in Connecticut have declined for those who secure quarters in assisted living communities, reports Greenwich Time . The researchers calculated a 3 percent annual decrease over the past five years on average for a private room in an assisted living community in southwestern Connecticut, to $195 a day or $71,000 for a full year. Connecticut was one of just three states along with Delaware and Illinois to see a decrease in the cost of assisted living. On a national level, the National Investment Center says construction began in the third quarter on nearly 1,440 new assisted living communities. The new projects coincide with an 85.3 percent occupancy rate on average in assisted living communities, below an overall 89.3 percent occupancy rate across all forms of senior housing. The deflationary pressure on assisted living is happening even as costs climb, which CareScout describes as "a simple case of supply and demand" with not enough workers for an ever-expanding number of communities and residents, particularly those requiring help with Alzheimer's.