What You're REALLY Paying for When It Comes to Senior Living

It’s true, senior living isn’t inexpensive, but the old adage ‘you get what you pay for’ certainly holds true here. Because when it comes to senior living you get so much more than just basic care and housing. It offers a value that’s simply hard to match at home. Here’s what you’re really paying for and why senior living is so worth it.

Behind the Price of Senior Living

To start, senior living doesn’t offer just one type of care. Rather it’s more like a continuum that offers different types of care and amenities based on different needs and wants including:

• Independent Living – These communities are focused on lifestyle rather than daily support and feature a full calendar of social and enrichment opportunities for active seniors. Residents also enjoy having home maintenance, cooking and housekeeping taken care of for them plus amenities that may include concierge services, fitness center and transportation. 
• Assisted Living – Here, residents enjoy many of the same amenities as well as social and enrichment opportunities as independent living, but assisted living communities also provide assistance with daily tasks such as bathing and dressing as well as 24-hour supervision and onsite care. 
• Memory Care – These communities are designed for seniors with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. They feature specially-trained staff, 24-hour supervision and a secure yet comfortable setting with therapy, supportive dining and activities as well as social opportunities that make life more enriching.

The value here is that not only do you have the flexibility of different types of care for different needs, you have flexibility in what you pay as well. For example, if you don’t currently need daily support but would enjoy a more active, social and convenient lifestyle, you could choose independent living and pay less now. Then move to another type of care, if necessary, down the road. What’s more, many senior living communities offer multiple types of care on the same campus which offers even more value, not to mention peace of mind! 

The Value of Senior Living Compared to Home

Perhaps the greatest value of senior living is in how the lifestyle enhances your quality of life. You’ll find that it’s often easier to be more active, social and engaged in communities like ours than at home. In fact, we make sure residents have a full calendar of opportunities to choose from; and it’s all right outside your door which couldn’t be more convenient. 

Not to mention the freedom to enjoy it all without the burdens of unexpected expenses, chores and upkeep at home. Plus, the peace of mind that comes with knowing help is always available, if and when you need it. 

What You’re Really Paying for at Home

At the end of the day, we understand that the numbers matter too. That’s why you may be surprised to know that in addition to the value senior living offers, the monthly cost is also more comparable to home than you realize. You see, most people compare the monthly cost for senior living only to what they’re paying for a mortgage or rent at home. But that’s not the total cost of living at home. You’re also paying monthly for food, utilities, home maintenance, property taxes and entertainment costs at home, which are typically already built into the monthly cost of senior living!

If you’re receiving care at home, be sure to include that in your monthly cost for comparison as well. Not to mention you may have to pay for home modifications such as wheelchair ramps, wider doorways and grab bars to name a few, whereas senior living communities are designed specifically with these features plus emergency alert systems, transportation and backup generators as standard. After adding it all up; in some cases, senior living may actually be less expensive than home!

For more information download our Family Guide to Funding Senior Care & Housing or contact us today to schedule a tour.