What to Expect When it Comes to Monthly Senior Living Expenses

November 24, 2021
| Vitality Living

When it comes to healthy aging, quite honestly, there’s a lot to do. You’re supposed to make sure to keep your body active and your brain engaged all while maintaining your social connections as well. Sure, the benefits to your overall well-being are worth the effort, but retirement is supposed to be a time with less responsibility on your plate, right? Well, it turns out that in senior living you can have your cake and eat it too, so to speak. Here’s how programs like our Vivid Life make keeping active, engaged, and connected easy and fun!

Benefits of Healthy Aging

Good things happen when you focus on healthy aging. In addition to feeling better overall, which in and of itself is a win, other benefits of keeping active, engaged, and connected include:

Improved ability to do everyday things
Reduced impact of illness and chronic disease
Enhanced mobility, flexibility, and balance
Improved sleep
Increased energy level
Reduced feelings of depression and stress
Increased feelings of happiness and self-confidence
Reduced risk of cognitive decline
Increased mental adaptability and cognitive reserve
Improved memory recall and problem-solving skills
Improved concentration and attention to detail

How Senior Living Can Help

At home, particularly when living alone, it can be hard to stay as active, engaged, and connected as you’d like. From lack of opportunity to lack of motivation to lack of transportation to mobility challenges, and more, it’s tough, we get it! That’s why we created the Vivid Life program in our senior living communities. It’s composed of three parts: Vibrant Body, Vibrant Brain, and Vibrant Connections. Here’s what each entails:

Vibrant Body – We offer amenities such as a state-of-the-art fitness center, a pool, walking trails, gardening opportunities, and even a dog park to help you stay active. A sample of activities includes:

Walking club – Daily walks at different outdoor locations using pedometers to measure steps.
Yoga – At least once per week for gentle yoga, and once per week for mindful breathing.
Fitness classes – At least two times per week using a variety of hand weights, resistance bands, and circuit-type exercises.
Tai Chi – At least once per week with a live instructor.
Non-traditional exercise – Dancing, gardening, etc. at least two times per week.
Physical games and sports – Golf, putting, bowling, croquet, bocce, and ping pong available daily with organized events one to two times per week.

Vibrant Brain – We offer monthly calendars filled with classes, events, creative arts, and enrichment opportunities to help keep you engaged. A sample of activities includes:

Visiting lecture series – Twice per month with topics such as cultural, historical, local interest, career-oriented, etc.
Creative art series – At least one per week with a theme that runs 3-6 weeks, such as poetry writing, storytelling, painting, digital photography, etc.
Learning series – At least three times per month with an emphasis on learning something new such as foreign language, sign language, technology, hobbies, etc.
Games – At least one time per week and may include poker, bridge, Scrabble, etc.
Mindfulness – A meditation class once per week and gratitude discussion group twice monthly.
Church service – At least once a week through visits by local churches.
Stress reduction – At least once per month class that offers deep breathing exercises, nature walks, music appreciation, spa-type treatments, etc.

Vibrant Connections – We offer resident-led clubs, social events, outings and volunteer opportunities for any interest to help you stay connected. A sample of activities includes:

Outings – At least twice per month and may include going to concerts, art shows, museum visits, theatre productions, etc.
Intergenerational programming – At least once per month and focuses on building relationships between young adults/children and residents.
New resident welcome party – At least once per month to formally introduce all new residents, and includes ice breakers, social games, etc. to encourage connection.
Philanthropic program – At least once per month provide residents the opportunity to give back to the community, such as volunteering for a local food bank or pet shelter.
Resident-led clubs – May include game clubs, professional clubs, common interests, etc. that meet at least monthly.

What’s more, it’s all right outside your door (or transportation is provided offsite) and all in a supportive environment with home maintenance, housekeeping, and restaurant-style dining freeing your time to make it even easier to stay active, engaged, and connected.

Learn more about Vitality Living’s Vivid Life programs. Or find a Vitality Living community near you today to schedule a tour.

One of the biggest considerations when deciding whether or not to move to senior living is the cost. At the same time, we know it can be confusing to decipher the fees and what may or may not be included in them. It’s even more so when comparing one community to another. We can help make it easier. Check out these tips on what to expect when it comes to monthly senior living expenses.

Start with the base rent/base fee – Ask what is included in this for each community you consider. Typically, monthly expenses such as rent, utilities, cable, meals, life-enrichment activities, and housekeeping are included. Some may also include other services like scheduled, group transportation as well.
Find out about any upfront fees – These fees may also be known as entry fees and are used to cover the administrative costs of moving in a resident.
Add up additional costs – Depending on your needs, you may incur additional expenses such as personal care or private transportation to and from doctor’s appointments. Other expenses should you choose to use these services typically include outings, beauty/barbershop charges, concierge services, and pet fees. Check with each senior living community you are considering on what they may offer, as well as the additional cost for these services.
Anticipate rent increases – It’s an unfortunate part of business, and life, that expenses tend to cost a little more each year which may translate into a rent increase as a senior living resident. Ask how often these increases occur, how much to expect, and when families are notified about them.
Look for other funding solutions – Yes, there are solutions to help you offset the cost of senior living. While investment income, pensions, and the sale of property are the most common ways to fund senior living care, there are other sources. The Veterans Aid & Attendance benefit is an option for qualified wartime veterans or their surviving spouses. You might also consider long-term care insurance, a life insurance conversion, or perhaps a reverse mortgage as well.

Comparing Monthly Senior Living Expenses

It’s important to do your best to compare apples to apples among the communities you’re considering, especially when it comes to monthly senior living expenses. Yes, they may have different pricing structures- and may refer to fees and/or services differently, which makes it more confusing, but that’s why it’s important to take good notes and never be afraid to ask questions for clarification. Communities like ours are always happy to help and want you to be confident in your decision to move. If you’re talking to staff that isn’t helpful, double-talks, or won’t answer specific questions about expenses, consider that a red flag! Check out our guide on Choosing the Right Senior Living Community for more information. Or, contact us today to schedule your virtual tour!

Financial Planning, Just Thinking, Senior Living

Vitality Living

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