Several efforts, both public and private, are helping assisted living become more affordable by lowering the cost of constructing assisted living facilities. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has two programs that subsidize developers of affordable assisted living, allowing them to provide assisted living at a lower cost to consumers. Under the first program, the Assisted Living Conversion Program, HUD allocated $50 million per year from fiscal years 2000 to 2002 to provide grants to help owners of nonprofit low-income senior housing apartments to convert dwelling units into assisted living apartments (HUD 2001). (more…)

Developers have built and marketed assisted living primarily for middle- to upper-income older persons—those able to pay $2,000 a month or more—a cost prohibitive for many older persons. According to a survey of 300 assisted living facilities in 1998, only 20% of facilities charged a single rate. The other 80% charged varying rates, depending upon room sizes or apartments or for assistance beyond the facility’s standard package of services. Most of the basic monthly rates ranged between $1,100 and $2,900 per month (Hawes, Phillips, and Rose 2000). Only 7% of the residents surveyed by the National Investment Center (NIC) and the Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) (1998) received public assistance for services (provided through Medicaid), and only 9% received public assistance for shelter costs (provided through the federal Supplemental Security Income program). (more…)

Are you a Baby Boomer who is taking take of an elderly loved one? I am. Perhaps you have dependent children too. And maybe a job or business. I do. Welcome to “the Sandwich Generation” — I’m sure you’ve heard of it. (As it turns out, we’re mostly women). All of our situations are different. Yet similar. For instance… (more…)

There are really no wrong reasons to choose an assisted living home arrangement in a senior community. With assisted living a person can still be as independent and free as they always have been, plus they also don’t have to worry about all the things that may become more difficult as times goes on. (more…)

Caring for Seniors and People with Disabilities in Their Own Home
Summary: Home care service providers assist elderly and disabled individuals with activities of daily living. This assistance often allows individuals to remain in their own home rather than needing to move to an assisted living facility. (more…)