Lake Charles is located in southeast Louisiana about 30 miles from the Texas border. Official census estimates place the city’s senior population at 12,856, representing 16.4% of its 78,396 residents. Lake Charles’s seniors have access to several quality medical centers including Christus Ochsner Lake Area Hospital, Avail Hospital and the Lake Charles Memorial System. They also benefit from a cost of living that’s more than 16% below the national average which is reflected in the city’s median costs for long term care. On average, seniors in Lake Charles spend $5,880 a month for a semiprivate room in a nursing home, roughly 24% less than the national figure.
The majority of nursing home residents are older adults who need around-the-clock medical supervision. Common care services in nursing homes include wound care, vital signs and diabetes monitoring and intravenous therapy, and physicians and registered nursing are almost always on-site. For seniors with less severe medical needs, assisted living or home health care may be a better option.
This guide offers seniors a high-level overview of the costs for senior care in Lake Charles as well as a few programs that can help seniors pay for care and reduce expenses.