# Assistant retired living?



## Paul James (Mar 12, 2015)

How much does assistant living cost, like for my wife and me? We live in Hayesville,N.C. Where is the closest one to me? Paul


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## pchrise (Mar 12, 2015)

I know it does cost at least like rent add medical services it goes up from there.  I do not want to go to one the ones in my area CA is way out of line around 7k for just a small room.    For your area you will need to call around   be careful though.   https://www.ourparents.com/north_carolina/hayesville/hayesville_house


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## hollydolly (Mar 12, 2015)

There seems to be quite a choice in and around your area Paul...click on this link to see some of them..

http://www.aplaceformom.com/assisted-living/north-carolina/hayesville


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## AZ Jim (Mar 12, 2015)

Google is your best friend Paul.


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## Butterfly (Mar 12, 2015)

Around here, they are hugely expensive.  several years ago, I knew someone who went into one and it was around $4,500 a month.  YIKES!


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## LogicsHere (Mar 13, 2015)

You should see the downstate NY prices, can range from $5500 to over $10,000 a month . . . these places laugh all the way to the bank.


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## Lethe200 (Jul 5, 2015)

There are as many types of senior facilities as you could possibly imagine. Because of the chaotic insurance marketplace and lack of cohesive government policy, you can find housing-only, minimal care (Asst Lvg only), full service, and every combination thereof. Some are just buildings. Some are like resorts. Some are for active seniors only. Most are mixed. Some have medical staff; some don't. Some handle dementia patients; some don't. 

You have to decide for yourself what type of facility you are looking for. AND - what type of facility you might need in the future! You need to know, for example, how the facility handles a couple when one needs 24/7 care but the other does not. 

You should be more concerned about finding a facility that is right for you and your wife, with the right mix of amenities and services, good staff with low turnover, with stable financials (facilities have gone under, and many non-profit places are being bought by for-profit corporations to the detriment of residents). 

We investigated eight facilities for my MIL. All had to be full service (she had dementia but could still manage AL). All had to be within 15 mins drive max from our house. 

Every single one of them had a different social atmosphere and culture. We could have put her anywhere, but she wouldn't have been as happy the way she was with the facility we finally selected as being most compatible with her personality with the capability of caring for her as she aged further; e.g., needed more assistance. 

Costs depend, like anything else, on location. If you are in a high labor cost/high RE cost area, facilities cost more. The increase in minimum wage will directly affect the healthcare industry. These people work hard for not much money, and deserve a living wage. 

You can Google "Assisted living [your zipcode]" or "nursing home [your zip]". Then check Medicare.gov's site for ratings, as well as your state licensing board - most post their annual inspection reports on-line so you can see precisely what errors were found - many are minor and quickly corrected.

In the San Francisco Bay Area CCRCs are expensive....but then, starter homes here for a tiny 2bd can run $400K to $2M, depending on city. We're on the lower end of that scale but not the lowest. My MIL's studio unit at a beautiful non-profit CCRC was $3800/mo plus $900/mo for Level 1 assistance as determined by the facility (NOT the family or resident), which was daily medication and weekly bath. Had she needed Memory Care it would be $8K/mo which includes everything but personal items. 

CCRCs differ on the "buy-in". Some charge a lot, which translates to your monthly cost will not change even if you need to move to Memory or Skilled Nursing Care. Some charge only a few thousand, but if you need more care you will pay market rates for it. Non-profits and for-profits charged pretty much the same for AL in the facilities we investigated. But when it came to Memory/Skilled care, there was a *big* difference - up to $3K/mo more at the for-profits.


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