Budgeting and comparing costs are a huge part of the process when deciding about long term care options. It isn’t “apples to apples” so to speak, and it’s important to look at TOTAL monthly expenses for both before making a decision on what is most sustainable.
To help our clients simplify, we created a 1 page guide to easily to compare costs side-by side that you can download and print here: https://sunwaysseniorliving.com/resources/
To dig into it a bit more, lets break down some of the important expenses to look into when comparing the two:
CURRENT HOME EXPENSES:
When looking at your total monthly budget, make sure to look at ALL expenses, because many of them will be eliminated or included in a Senior Living Community monthly cost. This can include, but isn’t limited to:
- Rent/Mortgage
- Property/Rental taxes
- ALL utilities (cable, internet, gas, electric, water, sewer, trash, phone)
- Monthly food costs (groceries + dining out)
- Transportation (monthly payment + gas + insurance)
- Home Security system
- 24/7 Alert system/button
- Home & Lawn maintenance, housekeeping
- Health/Wellness Club costs
- Care costs (private duty Caregiver services usually cost $25-$35/hr.)
SENIOR COMMUNITY EXPENSES:
It’s important to remember that depending on type of community (Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care), the pricing and amenities included will vary. Make sure to print out the guide from the link above and ask each community you are considering about what is included to better compare.
No matter what “type” of Senior Living Community you are considering, the goal is maintenance free living and simplifying day to day life. Included (99.9% of the time) in the base monthly cost is:
- Apartment (no taxes)
- Weekly housekeeping services
- All utilities
- Transportation
- Security System + 24/7 alert button
- All room and community maintenance
- All activities
- Community wellness/exercise gym + services
Beyond that, each level will typically have other amenities/services included such as:
Independent Living: will usually include 1-3 meals a day as well, and laundry services are included or sometimes a small extra cost. In order to receive personal care, residents will need to use a private duty Caregiver service as needed at an hourly cost.
Assisted Living: 3 meals a day and laundry services are always included in base cost. If needed, level of care will be assessed at move in and usually will be an added cost.
Memory Care: 3 meals a day and laundry services are always included in base cost. Most Memory Care communities will also have all inclusive care included in the base cost since care levels in memory care change so frequently.
For further questions about how to compare Senior Living Communities, please schedule a discovery call with us through our website (www.sunwaysalc.com). We’re a free service to families and want to make sure you have all the info you need to make the best decision.
