How much does Senior Living cost? This is an excellent question. Senior communities may not all have the same pricing structure as some are all-inclusive, others on a point system – and may be listed as a daily rate in some communities and monthly in others. It may not be a big surprise that a lot of seniors get frustrated when searching out senior care because it is difficult to find prices right away – and pricing is an important part of the decision-making process for many.

So what is the answer to how much senior living costs? The simple answer is – it is difficult to estimate a cost. But that answer doesn’t help most people who are asking so let’s dig deeper into how prices are determined – and how to best compare communities. Most senior communities have pricing based on resident care needs and the size of an apartment. Independent Living, for example, will cost less than Assisted Living because assisted living comes with care costs and independent living does not.

Tools like payingforseniorcare.com will give someone a rough idea of averages in their area, but often those averages do not include “extras” that some communities offer. These extras can be anything from care to meals, housekeeping, lifestyle enrichment – and ought to be included in the overall cost since residents will need and use all those services. Oak Park Place costs include all the amenities and services that you will need daily – rent, care, meals, housekeeping, basic maintenance – rather than piecing out services as add-ons. This makes answering the question about the total cost for independent living much easier!

Senior communities like Oak Park Place take great care to customize our care levels for residents. During the discovery and assessment processes, we ask a lot of questions about what kind of care someone is looking for and try to get to know them to make sure we’re only charging for the level of care they need. We don’t want to under or over quote what a rate will be, and we want to make sure that we can provide the kind of care necessary. We can also make adjustments for a resident if their care changes while living in the community.

People researching senior communities will find that once they have discussed their needs with a prospective community, the community is happy to share costs because they can much better estimate the cost associated with the appropriate level of care. The community will also be able to recommend other options should the estimated cost be outside of a given budget. Our sales team is trained to help seniors find a community that will fit their needs perfectly.

Cost is less important than finding a good fit. While cost is certainly a deciding factor, it should not be prioritized above finding the right community. After all, the process is about finding where a senior will spend the next chapter of his or her life. Are the neighbors friendly? Does the community fulfill their needs? What sort of activities does the community offer? Can they accommodate dietary requirements? Is the location near enough to friends and family? Does the community feel like a good home? These are the questions that should be prioritized and need to be answered before considering the cost of a senior living community.

If someone chooses a community for cost over fit, their quality of life and overall fulfillment could suffer. Finding the balance between cost and fit is key. Make sure that when researching potential communities, the search is about more than cost. It’s about how well someone will enjoy the place where they live. Not every senior living community is the same, so it’s important to talk to the staff there, take tours, and take advantage of every opportunity to get to know the community.

At the end of the day, what’s most important is how we spend the gift of time – not how much we spend on it.