|
|
For Alzheimer's patients in recent years, assisted living facilities have become an increasing attractive alternative to home care assistance. Before you decide on nursing homes of assisted living facilities for your loved one, learn more about the costs and options of payment for both.
Assisted Living
As with any senior housing option, when determining the feasibility of Alzheimer's care within an Assisted Living community, people should ask about monthly fees, what they include, and where additional costs may be incurred. Some facilities, for instance, will charge an extra fee for incontinence care.
While assisted living does cost less than nursing home care, according to The Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation, the cost of assisted living can range from $1,500 to $4,000 per month, depending on the facility’s location, services, care options, and licensing. Some facilities do accept state funding, such as Medicaid, but assisted living is usually paid for privately.
Medline Plus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, reports that patients or their families typically foot the bill for assisted living. While health and long-term care insurance policies may cover some costs, Medicare does not cover assisted living at all.
Nursing Home Care
Medicare, Medicaid, and veterans’ benefits can usually help defray some costs of nursing home care, under certain conditions. Long-term-care insurance and, in some instances, managed care plans, will cover nursing home costs.
The Bottom Line
The American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging reports that nearly 40 percent of long-term care spending–whether for assisted living or nursing home care–comes from private pay. The association also states that Medicaid covers the care of over half of all nursing home residents.
If private pay is being used to cover the costs of long-term health care, it is recommended that a discussion be had with the care facility as to what will happen when the patient or family runs out of money. Make sure to do your research into senior housing options and determine ahead of time what kind of plans or assistance the facility will accept in order to get the best care that you can afford for your loved one.
|
|