Consumer prices are down from last year, but costs for long termcare continue to rise.

According to the "2009 MetLife Market Survey of Nursing Home,Assisted Living, Adult Day Services, and Home Care Costs," longterm care service providers have raised prices across the boardfrom 2008 to 2009.

Private room nursing home rates rose 3.3 percent to $219 per dayor $79,935 per year, while assisted living also rose 3.3 percent onaverage to $3,131 per month. Home health care aides now cost anaverage of $21 per hour, a 5 percent increase; adult day servicesrun $67 per day, a 4.7 percent increase.

"These across-the-board increases may be surprising to manygiven the economy over the past year," said Sandra Timmermann,Ed.D, director of the MetLife Mature Market Institute. "But, whilethe Consumer Price Index (CPI) decreased overall during the pastyear, costs for medical care are 3.3 percent higher, whichparallels our findings on long-term care. The change in pricingmethods at some assisted living communities may be another factor,a warning to consumers to carefully compare prices at all long-termcare service facilities by considering both the base price and theadd-ins for additional services."

The price index is down 1.3 percent from a year ago, accordingto the Wall Street Journal.

The Associated Press reports house health care legislation expectedwithin days is likely to include a new long-term care insuranceprogram to help seniors and disabled people stay out of nursinghomes.

According to the survey, for nursing homes, the highest costsfor a private room were reported in Alaska ($584/day) while thelowest were in Louisiana, Rest of State ($132/day). Assisted Livingcosts were highest in Wilmington, Del.($5,219/month) and lowest inNorth Dakota ($2,041/month). The highest Home Health Care Aiderates were $30 per hour in the Rochester, Minn. area, while thelowest were reported in the Shreveport, La. area at $13 per hour.Adult Day Services were highest in Vermont at $150 per day andlowest in Montgomery, Ala. at $27 per day.