Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Conn. (most expensive area for long-term elder care; $159,359/yr.)
The average cost for nursing home care in the nation has climbed roughly 20 percent in the past five years, to $95,706 this year from $79,935 in 2009. The cost in Rochester averages $141,244 a year. Rochester ranked No. 8 in 2009.
The list ranks markets by the daily cost of a private room in a nursing home. In the past five years, Seattle, San Diego and Sacramento have moved up the most spots, and San Jose, Calif., Boise, Idaho, and Detroit have joined for the first time.
The Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Conn., region took the top spot on the list from Anchorage, Alaska. It averages $159,359 a year for nursing home care. Anchorage fell to No. 2, at $156,950 a year.
http://rbj.net/mobile/article.asp?aID=206982
= new reply since forum marked as read
IHSS is In-Home Supportive Services, California's groundbreaking program for consumer-controlled home care. The caregivers are unionized, although they don't make anything resembling a living wage; Santa Clara County (San Jose and vicinity) has the highest rate at around $14/hr. IHSS costs MUCH less than nursing home care, as well as allowing seniors and people with disabilities to retain their independence. But unfortunately, the nursing home industry has a much more powerful lobby. 
Alas, first Ahh-nuld and now Jerry Brown (yeah, yeah, I know he has a D after his name) have cut IHSS and other social safety net spending to the bone. And even mow that we have a surplus, Gov. Brown (D) appears to be hell-bent on using it to create a rainy-day fund, accelerate repayment of debt, and build more prisons. 
And why the heck would IHSS want your SSI check?! You might want to take that up with your local independent living center.
http://www.cfilc.org/find-ilc/