Are there any statistics on how long the average person stays at an assistant living facility before they will need to go to a place that provides more medical care than an assistant living facility can provide?
Not that I’ve ever seen. And average probably wouldn’t help you in this case. It’s more about the level of assistance needed and whether the assisted living place can provide it. Some are able to keep patients right to the very end.
Another issue is that in many areas of the country, the assisted living place wouldn’t be covered by insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid, while the skilled nursing facility might. In that case, you might want the person placed as soon as they qualify. Your situation is different from mine, but for us, it came down to something called the “activities of daily living (ADLs)” and how many a person can do with or without assistance.
Every case is unique and unfortunately averages don’t mean much.
Thanks for the responses. When my husband was discharged from the first rehab in January after his hospitalization in December I thought the best place for him was an assisted living facility because it provided a home like environment and a dining room that was like going to a restaurant, while being able to provide him with the level of assistance he needed. So when I had to give a security deposit equal to one month’s rent, a one time “community fee” that is not refundable, and provide one month’s notice to break the lease I figured that he would be staying there for a long time so I was willing to do it.
He had been doing very well at that assistant living facility until they had to send him to the ER three weeks later in February when he had a number of serious new medical issues that he didn’t have when I signed his lease for assistant living. However, I thought that after staying at a rehab center for a few weeks after being discharged from his second hospitalization he would be strong enough to go back there so I continued to pay for it to have that option for him.
Unfortunately, when assisted living came to evaluate him at rehab they said they couldn’t take him back because he needed more care than they could provide. So I gave them the thirty days notice at that time to cancel his lease.
As much as I wanted him to go back to assisted living because I thought it would provide him with a better quality of life, I realize that he needs to be in a rehab center or nursing home for the rest of his life. However, if I had any idea that his health would deteriorate that quickly I would have not agreed to all these additional expenses in addition to the fact that the assistant living cost 12,000 a month.
Since my husband is being treated for a wound sore at this rehab facility that he got at the first rehab in January Medicare will pay for the bill until the days they allow for rehab are used up. However, since that includes the days he spent at the first rehab they will be used up very soon. Then I will have to pay $400 a day as a private pay at the rehab where he currently is.
I’m sorry you’re going through all of this. Our system is disconnected and horribly expensive. I don’t have the answers about how to fix it.
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We experienced something similar, almost. My sister was in an assisted/independent living home. She was prone to falls and unknown to the rest of the family, had lung and liver cancer. She fell and was in the hospital, then moved to a skilled nursing facility. But she would only have 30 days there before she would have to pay…and it was also $300-400 per day. Her old place wouldn’t take her back because they were not capable of providing the level of care that she needed. And she passed away before we could find something else.
On a side note…I know that I am sometimes quite the ahole on these boards. But my heart breaks for you. These must be hard times for you, and it is obvious to anyone who is on these boards that you love your husband very much. It’s bad enough seeing the health of someone you love deteriorate. The financial issues can’t help that at all. I don’t “pray” much, but I do talk to my God often. You are in my thoughts and in those talks. Take care.
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mcarley - Thank you!
kcflyer - Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness and empathy! Your kind and caring words mean a lot to me!