When many people think of homes for seniors they imagine depressing, clinical environments full of bossy caretakers and dismal activity rooms. That’s far from the reality in today’s climate, however. Modern senior assisted living facilities more closely resemble luxury resorts than jail cells for old people. They are also going down significantly in price.¹ The world is aging and America is no exception, but the good news is that life as an elderly person can be fulfilling and comfortable thanks to assisted senior living.²
Why Consider Assisted Senior Living?
The short answer is because there are some wonderful options at affordable prices. Many assisted living facilities can now look after you or your parents without making it a negative experience. A high-quality senior living facility will include unobtrusive help with everything from washing, to discussing and referring any health concerns, to taking medications—if needed.
These facilities can also include fun expeditions and great exercise classes worked into the daily routine. Senior living facilities can be a place for an elderly person to make new friends, try new things, and enjoy a slightly easier life. It isn’t the “end” of life: it’s the start of a new one.
Let’s Talk Costs
The cost of an assisted senior living facility depends on a number of factors. The main price differences occur because of the quality of the facility, what programs and services it offers including meals and meal quality, and where it is situated. The average cost is about $3,500 per month, but you can find homes ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 per month depending on the above factors.³
Prices are going down for one simple reason: availability. As the American population continues to age, companies have built many assisted living facilities to anticipate the surge of Baby Boomers looking for an assisted living facility. Although the spots are filling up, companies have been focused on getting prepared ahead of the actual influx. However that wave of older folks does not hit all at once and many of these places still need to fill rooms. This results in lower prices and great selection for picking the assisted senior living home that is best for your needs.
Finding The Best Deals
Because there is currently an oversupply of space in assisted senior living facilities, there is ample opportunity to find a great deal at a respected and high-quality facility in your area. In many cases, however, the particularly good deals are not advertised right up front: facilities don’t want to do this and undercut their regularly-priced rooms or create the perception that they are struggling or desperate to get new tenants.
For this reason it can be most helpful to contact the facility by phone or email and ask about any reductions, discounts or special packages. There are more than 28,000 assisted senior living facilities in the United States and you can bet your bottom dollar that some of them are having a hard time finding enough people.⁴
The best place to find great deals is online, as it is easy to quickly compare a number of different options in your area. It is best to not wait too long to start looking. The population is aging and the demand will start increasing as the huge influx of baby boomers begin to need care.
The easiest way to get started is to perform a search online for senior living facilities in your area. You can easily seek out the facilities with the services you are looking for at the prices you are most comfortable with. Hopefully it won’t be long before you or your loved one find the perfect new home.
[1] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/04/23/senior-living-costs-new-data-favorable-market-2019/3492894002/
[2] https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/worlds-older-population-grows-dramatically
[3] https://www.whereyoulivematters.org/how-much-does-assisted-living-cost/
[4] https://www.mcknights.com/news/how-many-assisted-living-facilities-exist/
