If you’ve started to look into the cost of senior living communities, you may have noticed that prices vary widely. Why is that?
Well, there are a number of reasons:
- Certain geographic areas are more expensive. For instance, senior living costs more in Washington State than in Alabama.
- Costs will vary according to the type of housing. For example, a two-bedroom suite typically costs more than a studio apartment.
- Communities that offer more amenities will generally charge more. Amenities might include things like on-site dining, cleaning and laundry services, community recreational events, transportation services, or even access to a gym, swimming pool, or golf course.
- Costs for different levels of care will also vary. For instance, the amount of support needed by someone in memory care will be more than by someone in assisted living or independent living. More support translates into more cost.
What that means is there’s no single answer to the question, “what’s included in the cost of senior living?” It will depend on all of these factors.
Get clear on what level of care you’re looking for
So, how do you sort out what costs are included by communities you might be considering?
One of the first steps is to get clear on what level of care you’re looking for.
Independent living may be a good fit for you if you’re looking for a place that’s easier to get around than your current home and not as much fuss to maintain. You may move there if you want to get more enjoyment out of life as opposed to needing any sort of personal care. You may still cook your own meals, but perhaps you like to have the option of dropping into community dining facilities for a meal from time to time.
Assisted living may be a good fit for you if you still want the privacy of your own apartment, but would benefit from a little help with day-to-day activities and medication management. Meals are provided for you so that you don’t have to prepare them yourself (or do the grocery shopping). You also have the option of participating in planned community activities throughout the week, giving you an opportunity to revive old leisure interests, pursue new ones, and meet new friends.
Memory care may be a good fit for your loved one if they need the benefits of a safe and secure dementia-friendly environment. Residents in memory care receive support from staff who are trained in dementia care and are understand the challenges those living with a memory impairment experience. Good memory care staff will help residents pursue activities they still enjoy and provide support so the experience is failure-free.
How to unpack the costs for different levels of care
Once you’re clear on what level of care you’re looking for, then you can look more specifically at what different senior living communities include in their monthly fees and what might be charged for on an à la carte basis.
Here are specific questions you can ask each senior living community you contact based on the level of care you want.
Independent living
- Is there any sort of entrance fee?
- What sort of floor plans are available and what are the costs for each?
- What amenities are included in your basic monthly fee? How much does it cost to access amenities that aren’t included?
- Are utilities included? What about phone, wifi, etc?
- Can I use community dining facilities from time to time? How much would that cost?
- Is there a cost to participating in community activities or accessing recreational facilities?
- Do you have a health and wellness program? What does it cost to access it?
- Do you offer temporary in-home personal support services (e.g. post-surgery) should I need it in the future? How much would it cost?
Assisted living and memory care
- What sort of floor plans are available and what are the costs for each?
- What amenities are included in your basic monthly fee? How much does it cost to access amenities that aren’t included?
- Are utilities included? What about phone, wifi, etc?
- Is there a meal plan? How many meals does it include? Is the cost included in the monthly fee or is it extra?
- Are any housekeeping, laundry, or personal support services included in the monthly fee? If so, how much? What’s the cost to add services?
- Is medication management included in the monthly fee?
- Are community activities included in the monthly fee?
- Do you have transportation services (e.g. to shopping, social outings, medical appointments)? What’s the cost?
More information
For more on this topic, check out our Choosing The Right Community guide.
