Can I Afford Assisted Living?

Most people have reservations about moving into assisted living, but aside from the fear of losing one’s independence and privacy, not to mention leaving behind a familiar home for new terrain, sometimes the biggest fear is cost. And there’s a strong foundation for that fear, with an average cost of around $3,500 per month for assisted living, according to a 2014 survey conducted by Genworth Financial Inc.

For those living on a limited, fixed income, it leaves the question, how are you supposed to cover those costs indefinitely? We at Stillwater Senior Living know of a lot of programs that can also help. We are your one stop shop for senior living. If your initial estimates regarding what you’ll have to pay for assisted living seem outside of your budget, here are some things to consider:

Location, Location, Location

Location really is everything and it can have a huge impact on the costs of assisted living, just like it impacts other living expenses in the area. As much as you might want to stay close to home or move to an area nearer friends and/or family members, take a good, hard look at the costs of assisted living in those areas. If they’re in prominent, high-rent neighborhoods, it might make more financial sense to choose an assisted living community where costs aren’t so high.

Compare Costs

Not only should you be sure to compare costs between assisted living communities, but you should also compare costs between the different levels of care because the prices you’re looking at may include services you don’t need. You might even decide you don’t need assisted living – maybe independent living is more suited to your needs and budget.

Plan Ahead

Don’t wait until after you or someone you love has had a major stroke and needs care right away. As they say: hope for the best, but plan for the worst. If you’re not yet at the point of needing assisted living, but you think you might in the future, start doing your research now. Some assisted living communities have a waiting list, so if there’s one you like and think you can afford, start making enquiries now. If they have a waiting list, get yourself on that list right away so you’ll have somewhere to go if/when you do end up needing their services.

Planning ahead can also have the added benefit of making sure you don’t end up moving from one assisted living community to another until you find one you like, which can end up costing you more money.

Here at Stillwater Senior Living, we treat our residents like family. Our apartments include studio, one bedroom, and two bedroom suites. They are designed with security features, maximum accessibility, and include walk-out patois with a full range of amenities for the entire family.

CONTACT US today for more information and a tour of our beautiful state-of-the-art community.