Senior Housing 101: Your Guide to Senior Care, Costs and More

The decision to move to a senior living community is never simple. There are a lot of factors to consider and for many children with concerns about their parent’s safety and well-being, it can be a tough conversation to start. So, when you and your parents are on the same page about moving to senior living, it can feel like a huge weight is lifted.

The next step is to find a community in which your parent(s) will thrive, but choosing the best senior housing option can sometimes be overwhelming. That’s why our senior living partner, A Place for Mom (APFM), has a completely free and recently updated “Senior Housing 101” website, which has helpful information about all things related to senior housing.

Senior Housing 101: Your Guide to Senior Care

From expert advice to free articles, guides and resources, you’ll have everything you need to help you and your parent find a community that’s the right fit.

Here’s how to get started:

Elder Law and Regulations

This section provides information about planning for your senior loved one’s future financial, health and legal needs. Essential planning resources include:

• Durable Power of Attorney (DPOA): Establish a DPOA online now
• Guardianship
• Last Will: Create a Last Will online now
• Living Trust
• Living Will

Financial Planning and Taxes

This section provides many financial senior care guides, including:

• 5 Best Kept Secrets to Financing Senior Care
• Family Guide to Senior Living
• Public Pay Resource Guide
• Veteran’s Benefits Guide

Memory Care

You can browse memory care communities by city and state, as well as review the cost of memory care and the services offered at a specialized community.

Senior Housing Costs

This Senior Living Cost Index is an interactive map feature that allows you to click a particular region and see an approximate cost for both assisted and independent living in the chosen area. This index is the only free data source of its kind and helps families plan for the costs of senior living.

You can also use this free Senior Care Calculator to compare the cost of assisted living in your city to the costs of maintaining a home and employing a full-time home care aide.

This State Medicaid Directory also allows you to easily see the type of care that is covered by Medicaid in your state, as well as the eligibility requirements, rules and regulations for Medicaid in your state.

Senior Housing Types

APFM has a variety of Senior Housing Reference Guides which provide an overview of both non-traditional and traditional senior housing options, including:

• Adult Day Care
• Board and Care Homes
• Continuing Care Retirement (CCRC) or Life Plan Communities
• LGBTQ Retirement Communities
• Residential Care Homes
• Retirement Communities

As well, this 22-page Guide to Senior Housing and Care is a comprehensive overview of a variety of senior care options. This Quick Reference Chart outlines different services that are offered by each housing type, including:

• Accepts wheelchairs
• Alzheimer’s care
• Average age
• Cost
• Diabetes management
• Housekeeping
• Incontinence care
• Medication management
• Meals per day
• Mobility assistance
• Nurses on-site
• Personal care
• Personal laundry
• Transportation

Veteran’s Benefits

The Veteran’s Aid and Attendance (VA&A) Pension provides benefits to veterans and their spouses to help pay for the costs of in-home care and senior housing. The Guide to VA Benefits and Long-Term Care reviews the Basics of what VA benefits cover, eligibility and how to apply for benefits.

Supporting a senior loved can be tough, especially when the time comes to make important decisions about their future health and senior living arrangements.

APFM’s Senior Housing 101 website has been created to relieve the burden of adult children and their senior parents and provide expert advice, guides and resources to help you in your decision making.

Caitlin Burm

Caitlin Burm is an award-winning editor and writer who has written extensively about education, health and senior care, most recently at A Place for Mom and previously at Arizona State University and the City of Tempe, Arizona. She thrives on content strategy and storytelling and resides in Phoenix with her daughter and husband.