BJC Hospice

General Guidance

Assisted Living

Assisted living communities offer a wide range of lifestyle choices, from the cozy familiarity of a single-family residential home to an extensive apartment-style environment. Additionally, these senior communities can be free standing or they may be part of a continuing-care community that provides independent, assisted, and nursing care. Often specialized services are brought into senior independent retirement communities as requested or required by its residents. Rates for private pay (subsidized very limited if available) vary and often depending upon individual services required. Range can be $3,500 to $6,000 +.

Assisted living offers senior independent living with the daily assistance and medical care they may need. While every senior assisted-living community differs, most provide the following, either all-inclusively or provided as an additional fee:

• Personal services, such as help dressing or bathing
• General healthcare services
• Housekeeping services
• On-site meal program, offering 1 to 2 prepared meals a day
• Laundry services

Memory Care

Like any housing situation, the cost for assisted living with Alzheimer’s disease care varies by community, type, location, amenities offered, and so on, but the following guidelines are generally true:

• For those over the age of 65, the cost of Alzheimer’s services is three times that of normal health care costs in that age bracket.
• Federal and state programs exist to help pay for housing and care for seniors with Alzheimer’s or dementia, including Medicaid, Medicare, social security disability, and other caregiver support programs.
• The cost will vary depending on the level of care the person will require, which is often determined by their stage of disease progression.
• To get a true estimate of the cost of assisted living for seniors with Alzheimers, contact the communities listed on AlternativesforSeniors.com and inquire. A friendly associate will gladly assist you.

Other types of active senior communities exist in addition to assisted living for seniors with Alzheimers or dementia, including in-home residential care, continuing care communities, and nursing and rehab centers. For those who are seeking independent living options, single-family homes, condominiums, and mobile home living are a few of the available choices.

Independent Living

Independent-living communities, often referred to as Retirement Communities or congregate-living communities, are specifically designed with the needs and interests of independent senior adults in mind. Such communities are planned and developed in an apartment- or condominium-like setting with 24-hour on-site supervision and care. Such being the case, most are age restricted and only permit elderly tenants who are of a certain age, usually 55 or 62 years and above. This age limitation also helps to foster a greater sense of community among the residents through shared likes and interests. Rates vary greatly with a wide range of amenities, starting at average rates of $1.900 +.

Independent living is most appropriate for active seniors who are still greatly able to care for themselves. For such individuals, independent senior living options can offer a rewarding and carefree lifestyle with the additional benefit of available senior care and senior services.

While every senior community differs, offering a wide variety of amenities and services for those who live there, many senior living communities provide the following, either all-inclusively covered in the monthly rent, or provided as an additional fee:

• Housekeeping services
• On-site meal program, offering 1 to 2 prepared meals a day
• Laundry services or laundry facilities