What’s this going to cost?
As you can imagine, the costs of (nursing home) facilities goes up with the level of care and services they provide. Certain places higher on this scale can charge an up-front fee (which can be huge) in addition to monthly fees; that’s understandable; an on-site or on-call doctor simply costs more than one who’s on call; an on-site rehabilitation team costs more than a staff member whose duties are to organize activities for residents.
This makes it important for you to check out Medicare or Medicaid benefits, Social Security benefits, insurance benefits, and other sources of money to pay for this well ahead of the time the need could arise. A good financial planner who’s well
versed in the financing of senior care could be well worth it.
Plan Ahead
Don’t be surprised if you find out that a highly rated and recommended place has a waiting list. This is one good reason to plan ahead and check out places before the need is upon you. Another critical reason for doing this is so you don’t find yourself in panic mode when a loved one’s need for care at any level suddenly arises; you don’t need the pressure of having to make a quick decision and wondering if it was the right one.
There Might Be Overlap
You’ll discover that some places in this general “hierarchy” of senior care offer services that are a step down or a step up from what’s been described here; there will be overlap. This could allow a resident to shift up or down as needs arise or as a problem is solved, and that could be a great benefit for a resident who might otherwise face the necessity of moving to a different facility.
This could also be a boon for an elderly couple who want to live together in an apartment but one needs more help than another—same place, different levels of need. Costs will go up if they need more care, but costs could also go down as they recover from any one problem and no longer need a higher level of care all at the same place.
Eric J. Hertz, PC
Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers