Yesterday, I talked to three different families about the need for memory care for a parent. One told me their parent was in stage 2 of 3 stages of Alzheimer’s. The second was in stage 6 of 7 stages. The third just had “really bad” memory loss. Likely these three individuals may be at similar stages in the disease process.
At the same time, the facilities we considered set their pricing models quite differently. One had 9 levels of care, one had 3; and rent and food were separate. One was all-inclusive, rent, food and care all bundled together. Combine the different ways to categorize the stages of disease by doctors and families, with the different ways a facility designs their pricing models, and you have a recipe for confusion and poor decision making.
At this point, bringing in professional eldercare advisors like Crossroads Eldercare Options for assistance, is the easiest way to better understand the cost of rent and care at a senior care facility. However, if you want to tackle it on your own, here are some ideas:
- To avoid making a mistake, throw all the labels out the window. Consider the communities that offer the care, location and general price that works for your family.
- Make a side-by-side comparison of all costs that would be applicable upon moving into a facility based on the person’s care needs.
- Keep in mind a nicer or bigger room will cost more, and factor that into your equation.
- Then make a comparison of what a mid-level and a top-level of cost would be if your parent needed most, or all the services offered. Compare these three numbers and a clearer picture of comparable costs should be apparent.
- Next, consider your own personality. Would you prefer to possibly pay a little more initially to be able to better budget the long term (all inclusive), or do you feel better only paying for what your parent is receiving in care month to month (levels of care).
- Make sure you ask what the normal increase in rates is each year. Almost all facilities raise their rates every year.
It can be hard to make an “apple to apple” comparison considering all the different ways peoples care needs progress as they age, and all the different ways that facilities structure their business’s. Do the best you can, call Crossroads for help anytime, and remember to consider not only price, but where your loved one will feel most safe, secure, and cared for!