Reply to Hidden Costs in Independent Living

Forum Index » Eldercare

Reply to "Hidden Costs in Independent Living"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous]My mom lives at a Brightview facility in Independent Living. They also have Assisted Living and Memory Care.

For those asking what is different between Independent Living and a regular apartment, this is what you get at Brightview included in your rent:
 - 2 meals per day (breakfast & dinner); dinner is in the dining room and my mom has a regular group she eats with
 - daily exercise classes mainly focused on mobility plus weekly yoga, tai chi and other options
 - a regular schedule of activities with usually at least 4 or so per day including live music, arts & crafts, movies, lectures on tops like art and local history
 - monthly special dinners - recent options were an Italian dinner, crab feast, BBQ etc
 - shuttle buses to doctor appointments with some limitations - generally need to let them know 2 weeks in advance to get on the schedule and there are some date/time limitations, but all workable
 - weekly shuttles to shopping centers during the week and several churches on Sunday
 - regular field trips that are usually an extra charge - things like visiting a large garden center and lunch at an Irish pub; dining at a waterfront restaurant; visiting museums in DC or Baltimore combined with a restaurant.

There's no medical care included in Independent living, but there's a button you have to press each day by 10am and if you don't they will call or come do a wellness check if you don't respond.

Many people have medical aides as a transition before going into assisted living, but you pay extra, of course (unless your insurance covers it).

Independent living is 2x or more compared to a regular apartment, but it meets almost all my mom's needs for food, activities, and transportation. She spends minimal arounts beyond this. Assisted living might be 4x or more but you're getting daily medical care, so of course that's the case.

My mom gets internet and cable included in her rent but if you want extra fast internet or extra channels, that's on you. There are charges to get food delivered to your room or to have guests eat with you but those are pretty reasonable. She also gets a housekeeping visit every 2 weeks.

The biggest thing in terms of cost is that they will raise the rent every single year by a significant amount - 5% or so. Most senior living facilities offer significant reductions on rent when you move in for 1-2 yrs but it can be a big hike when that ends. Some people game it by moving into other senior living facilities and getting another move-in discount but that's pretty disruptive.

For our family Independent Living has 100% been worth it for getting meals included and all the social activities that have helped my mom be so much more resilient. The daily exercise classes have been game changers as well - she really needs them to keep up her mobility and they have really helped.[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics