Challenges of choosing an Assisted Living Community

Where to begin….

Moving your older adult to assisted living is a big challenge for many families.

Deciding when to make the transition can be tough, but once that’s resolved, the next question is how to find an assisted living community that’s right for your older adult.  Consider a Life Plan Community that offers the full range of continuing care that will provide care for all the seasons of life for your loved one. By choosing a Life Plan Community like McGregor it’s likely the community is staffed for higher older adults can remain in one lifestyle for a longer period of time-having more longevity in that particular level of care that proivdes options other than transitioning to a long term care community.

You want to make sure they’ll be well cared for and are also looking for a good fit for their lifestyle and personality.

The distance to you or other relatives might be an important consideration as well.

Generally, that means looking at your older adult’s budget, visiting a few places, and comparing the pros and cons to make a final decision.

To make the process easier, we found a useful free guide that summarizes key information and has a handy checklist.

This guide and checklist help you organize your thoughts, notice important details, and compare one community against another.

We share an overview of the guide to choosing an assisted living facility and highlight the most helpful checklist items.

Ways to pay for assisted living

1. Private savings

• If your older adult has enough savings, they could pay “out of pocket” using personal savings or income.
• Consider speaking with a reputable financial adviser to confirm that your older adult’s savings will last through the years. For a quick ballpark estimate, use this long term care cost estimator.

2. Sell their house

• Some older adults have the option of selling their house and using that money to pay for assisted living expenses.
• If the house is still on the market, but the move to assisted living needs to happen ASAP, a bridge loan could help until the home is sold. FYI, that’s a short-term loan and could be a risky choice. But it’s something to consider if you’re really stuck.

3. Long-term care insurance

• This type of insurance usually covers nursing home care, home-based health care, assisted living care, and other medical services.
• Don’t assume it won’t be affordable – check with a reputable insurance agent. Long-term care premiums are based on many factors, including:
  • • Age
    • Health
    • Benefit amount and duration
    • When the company will start paying benefits
    • Other factors like location
• Medicare doesn’t pay for long-term assisted living, but may pay for short-term rehab stays, typically after an inpatient hospital stay.

 4. Veterans benefits

• In some cases, veterans benefits can cover assisted living costs.
• To qualify and apply, contact the local Veterans Affairs office