Assisted Living Auburn.com

What is the Cost of an Assisted Living Facility?

The daily cost of living in an assisted living facility can range anywhere from $60 to $80, which is the equivalent of $1800 to $2400 a month for the “basics.” By basics we mean the basic utilities (trash, heat, water and electric), room and board, basic housekeeping (clean fresh linens) and some of the meals. The amount of meals vary by facility, there are some assisted living facilities that offer 20 to 40 meals a month as part of their “package.” Meals other than those are the responsibility of the resident.

The amount of care that a resident needs is assessed on an individual basis and that care will cost anywhere from $300 to $1200 a month. There are other charges that may also be incurred such as parking fees, personal care, activities, extra meals (outside of the meals in the package) and any other items. This can bring the total, including the minimum of $1800 for the basics to $4000 per month.

There are still other services that may be offered that can also increase the monthly fee. Those will vary by facility and in most cases are optional for the resident. Talk with the administrator of the facility you are interested in to get more information.

The total cost may sound outrageous, but when compared to a stay in the nursing home, which can run anywhere from $2100 to $9000 a month depending on the facility and the amount of care the residents needs, an assisted living facility is a bargain if the resident is able to care for himself.

It is important that you understand the cost of living in an assisted living facility will also vary by state. If there is a particular facility that you are interested in, you can also visit their website to get a more detailed idea of what it costs at the facility you are interested in.

You also need to know that the vast majority of assisted living facilities do requires a deposit which is often non-refundable. If the assisted living facility is attached to a nursing home typically the deposit made at the assisted living facility can be used as the deposit at the nursing home should the resident need to transfer.

A reason that Medicare does need to be looked at closely and possibly reformed is because Medicare may not pay for any of the assisted living expenses. Most residents of assisted living facilities are paying 100% of the cost themselves. Often this requires the sale of their home and possibly car, the savings on auto insurance and utilities also helps to offset the total cost. To find out what your state offers talk to the Medicaid office to see if there is any supplemental Social Security funds that can be used.