What does it cost to live in a nursing home?

In elderly care, a maximum fee applies. This means that the resident has the right to have money left over when rent and fees are paid. According to the rules of the Social Services Act regarding maximum fees, the resident should always have at least a so-called reserved amount left to live on after the cost of living and any fee has been paid. For the year 2020, the reserved amount is 5,373 kr per month for a single person.

What is the cost of living

The fee that the resident has to pay is calculated based on the income. Income from capital and housing supplements are also included. From this, the cost of rent in the accommodation is first deducted. Then the reserved amount is deducted and what remains is the fee space, i.e. how much the resident has to pay for the care at the accommodation.

The reserved amount should be used for food, medicine, consumables, newspapers, insurance, electricity, telephone and other things. The cost of food is often charged by the municipality or the caregiver. Municipalities charge different amounts but most seem to be between 3500 to 4000 kr/month. The rent also varies between different nursing homes based on the standard and living area of the apartment. Often, the tenant also has to pay for a share in common areas.

Sometimes there is also a fee for consumables such as furniture and household utensils. Those who have a guardian may also have to pay a fee for this. If the costs get out of hand, it happens that elderly people are forced to apply for social assistance to support themselves. It is very rare today that the fee charge puts the elderly in that situation.

The care fee must never exceed the maximum fee of 2139 kr/month in 2021. It is the same throughout the country. Otherwise, each municipality decides on the rules for fees in elderly care. Also what is included in the fee. Most municipalities ensure that the fees do not cause the elderly to have to apply for social assistance.

Calculate the reserved amount

It is important to remember that costs for rent, care fee and consumables can also drastically affect the partner's economy. If the couple has expensive living costs or lives "too big", it can be a situation where pension and housing supplements are insufficient for the remaining partner. So get an overall picture of how it affects your economy before you decide. The municipality's fee handler can help clarify the consequences.

Reflection questions - living cost
Care staff:
- Do you get questions from residents or relatives about fees and what is included in the fees.

Manager, nurse, occupational therapist and physiotherapist:
- Does it happen that residents do not have money for medicine or other necessary products?
- How do you handle situations where a resident risks being without, for example, medicine?

Residents and relatives:
- Is the money left over after rent and fees enough for what is needed for a reasonable standard of living?

Erland Olsson
Specialist nurse
Sofrosyne - Better care every day