Assisted Living
From Life Done Right SeniorWiki
Assisted living is for adults who need help with daily living tasks. They may need help with dressing, bathing, eating, or using the bathroom, but they don't need full-time nursing care. Some assisted living facilities are part of retirement communities. Others are near nursing homes, so a person can move easily if needs change. Assisted living costs less than nursing home care. It is still fairly expensive. Older people or their families usually foot the bill. Health and long-term care insurance policies may cover some of the costs. Medicare does not cover the costs of assisted living.
Residents of assisted living facilities usually have their own units or apartment. In addition to having a support staff and providing meals, most assisted living facilities also offer at least some of the following services:
- Health care management and monitoring
- Help with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, and eating
- Housekeeping and laundry
- Medication reminders and/or help with medications
- Recreational activities
- Security
- Transportation
Although assisted living costs less than nursing home care, it is still fairly expensive. Depending on the kind of assisted living facility and type of services an older person chooses, the price costs can range from less than $10,000 a year to more than $50,000 a year. Across the U.S., monthly rates average $1,800 per month.
Because there can be extra fees for additional services, it is very important for older persons to find out what is included in the basic rate and how much other services will cost.
Primarily, older persons or their families pay the cost of assisted living. Some health and long term care insurance policies may cover some of the costs associated with assisted living. In addition, some residences have their own financial assistance programs.
The federal Medicare program does not cover the costs of assisted living facilities or the care they provide. In some states, Medicaid may pay for the service component of assisted living. Medicaid is the joint federal and state program that helps older people and those with disabilities pay for health care when they are not able to afford the expenses themselves. Additional information on financing can be obtained from the resources listed below
External Links
- Assisted Living Federation of America
- Consumer Consortium on Assisted Living
- National Center for Assisted Living
Related Books
- Assisted Living Administration: Knowledge Base by James E. Allen
- Insider's Guide to Assisted Living: What You Really Need to Know Before You Sign a Contract by Molly Shomer
- Dealing With Difficult Parents: And With Parents in Difficult Situations by Todd Whitaker
- Assisted Living: Needs, Practices, and Policies in Residential Care for the Elderly by Sheryl Zimmerman
- Senior Living Communities: Operations Management and Marketing for Assisted Living, Congregate, and Continuing-Care Retirement Communities by Benjamin W. Pearce
- Assisted Living Strategies for Changing Markets by Jim Moore
- Analyzing Seniors' Housing Markets by Susan B. Brecht
- Building Type Basics for Senior Living by Bradford Perkins
- When Someone You Love Needs Nursing Home, Assisted Living, or In-Home Care: The Complete Guide by Robert F. Bornstein
- The Complete Eldercare Planner, Second Edition: Where to Start, Which Questions to Ask, and How to Find Help by Joy Loverde
- Seniors' Housing and Care Facilities: Development, Business, and Operations by Paul A. Gordon
- Developing Active Adult Retirement Communities by Diane R. Suchman
- Boomers on the Horizon: Housing Preferences of the 55+ Market by Margaret Wylde
- Design for Assisted Living: Guidelines for Housing the Physically and Mentally Frail by Victor Regnier
- Design Innovations for Aging and Alzheimer's by Elizabeth C. Brawley
- Design Details for Health: Making the Most of Interior Design's Healing Potential by Cynthia A. Leibrock
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