Long-term care, senior housing costs are rising nationwide. In Arizona, the tab is slightly less

The cost of long-term care and senior housing is on the rise nationwide. But in Arizona, the tab is slightly less.

Aging in Arizona isn’t cheap, but still less than the national median. When it comes to memory care, Arizonans will shell out slightly more than $5,400 a month; whereas assisted living here comes out at about $4,800 a month.

Niki Gewirtz is a senior living advisor with the national organization A Place for Mom, which produces an annual report after surveying partner communities.

She says when it comes to cost, the numbers can go up or down depending on size, location or other amenities. Then there are the costs associated with specific needs.

“Such as bathing, dressing and incontinence care, medication management, those things can add up as well.”

According to the state plan on aging, the number of Arizonans aged 60 and older is expected to increase by 25% by 2030.

Gewirtz says a lot of the increases also have to do with the costs it takes to run a community.

“You've got your utilities that go up. You've got your food costs that as we know right now are high for everybody, the cost of staffing.”