Senator Bob Casey led a hearing on assisted living facilities today.
 
This is the first time in 20 years the Senate Committee on Aging has held a hearing on the topic.
 
Nearly 1 million seniors live in 30,000 assisted living facilities across the nation.
 
Today's hearing focused on topics like the cost of senior care, models for at home care, and ways to improve staffing so residents are safe. Four different witnesses gave testimony on the current state of the industry.
 
Senator Casey spoke on how estimates for the cost of care is important to learn more about, as it can be unpredictable at assisted living facilities.
 
"The more assistance and care a resident needs, the more they pay," said Casey. "And in some cases residents and families don't know the total cost until they receive their monthly bill."
 
Casey is asking Pennsylvania families, and all U.S. citizens, to share their monthly assisted living bills at the website here, so the committee has a better picture of the true cost of care.
Right now, the average sits at $54,000.