Help gather resources and information.
Use your knowledge, contacts and the Internet to ensure that your parents are aware of all relevant options. Every community offers a different mix of services and amenities. Review them carefully to find one that meets your family’s specific needs. Then compare the prices for entry costs and ongoing monthly fees.
Continuing care (also known as “life care”) communities may offer a health care benefit,
but it will come at an added price. If your parents have long-term care insurance, they may have already paid for that benefit. Not-for-profit communities maintain that they are less expensive because they reinvest their profits in the community. But that isn’t necessarily reflected in lower pricing.
We recommend comparing similarly sized residences in communities you are considering. Try to measure “apples to apples” to get the best idea of comparable value. Visit each community and talk with residents and with their adult children as well as staff members.