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How much does assisted living cost?
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Is assisted living covered by Medicare?
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What is the difference between Assisted and
independent living?
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What is needed to place someone in assisted living?
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Who monitors assisted living?
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How do I place a confused Resident?
[This can
be a tricky question. It depends on many factors. The
state provides money for people who have no or little income
and need to be placed in assisted living. This is called the
Special Assistance Program (SA). A person who has less than
2000 thousand dollars in assets for the past two years and makes
about 1,200 dollars or less a month is generally eligible for this
program. The Department of Health and Human Services handles
eligibility and admission for this program. If you are not
eligible for SA, it will be the responsibility of the resident
and/or the resident's family to pay for the bill. Basic
Services can start as low as 1,500 dollars per month.
Depending on the type of care or accommodations can be as high as
3,200 dollars (at this rate you are receiving accommodations SA
residents can not have). These prices are referring to our
buildings only. Many Assisted Living facilities can run in
excess of 5,000 dollars a month. It is also important to
factor in other cost such as prescription drug cost.]
[No.
Medicare cannot pay for Assisted Living. It can pay for
nursing care.]
[Independent Living does not provide as much help as assisted
living. Independent living does not have staffing like
assisted living, does not provide medication dispensing, or
assistance with bathing and hygiene. Of coarse independent
living usually cost about half as much as assisted living.]
[The two
major things needed to get your foot in the door in assisted living
are an FL-2 and a TB-Skin Test. A FL-2 is a form (provided by
DHHS or Assisted Living Facility) the doctor fills out stating why
the resident needs to be in a facility and list thing the resident
needs help with as well as their medications. A TB-Skin Test
is a test provided by local health departments and doctor offices
that test for tuberculosis. A recent chest X-ray can also be
substituted for the skin test]
[All
assisted living facilities are closely monitored on many state and
local levels. Once a year all facilities are inspected by the
state of North Carolina. Each building must pass a strict list
of rules in order to be relicensed. Local agencies (DHHS and
the Health Department) monitor and inspect each building a minimum
of every three months. There are also volunteer groups that
monitor on a monthly basis (not all counties have this). The
department of Health an Human Services must investigate any and all
complaints that are received about a facility]
[Sometimes
it becomes necessary to place a resident into an assisted living
facility against their will. This could be because the
resident has become to feeble or confused to care for themselves.
Hopefully this will never happen to you. There are a few ways
to handle this situation. Sometimes another family member of
friend can convince the person that they require more help than they
are currently receiving. If the person has a guardian the
guardian can decide what's best and the person can be made accept
more help. The DHHS can also be contacted and open an Adult
Protective Services case. The person will be investigated and
it will be determined weather or not the person must receive help.
Hopefully you will never have to deal with this kind of situation.]
