Costs and Local Resources
Discover the beautiful Golden State when you look for assisted living in California. The home of the 1849 Gold Rush might just be the perfect place to spend your golden years. As the most populous state in the country and as home to the largest sub-national economy in the world, California can offer you both cozy and petite assisted living communities and the height of luxury, hotel-style assisted living facilities. A hub for the technology and entertainment industries, California also ranges in geology from desert, to temperate rainforest, to Mediterranean-like sea-side climate. There’s something for everyone looking for California assisted living services.
California vs. Arizona, Nevada, and Washington
We noticed people seem to be searching for assisted living in these California cities more frequently than others: Fresno, Redding, Roseville, and Sacramento. We've provided their pricing here.
Seniorly 2021 data shows that the average cost of assisted living in California is $4,075 per month. The national average monthly cost is $4,057. The average California cost is only slightly less than the national average: keep in mind as you start your senior living search that some areas (particularly those where the cost of living is high) will be more expensive than others. Explore our assisted living listings to start comparing properties, or get in touch with one of our local advisors to get expert advice on what you can afford in the areas in which you’re interested.
Assisted living communities can provide the peace of mind that comes from not worrying about home maintenance, chores, or errands, as well as help with personal care like grooming, eating, and other activities of daily living seniors might have trouble with. However, if your loved one requires nursing care, or has diagnosed Alzheimer's or dementia that has progressed to a certain point, they might need a skilled nursing facility/home health care, or memory care community instead. These types of care providers (and for that matter, in-home care) might cost more in California than assisted living facilities, but the important thing is that your loved one’s needs are cared for in order to provide them with the best quality of life.
If your loved one currently lives in a retirement community, ask whether it is a Continuing Care Retirement Community: these senior living properties are generally designed for residents to age in place. Seniors can get the different levels of care they need, from independent living to memory care, without having to move to a different community all together.
California has one of the highest costs of living in the country. Behind Hawaii and Washington, DC, California’s cost of living index is 138.5, where the US national average is 104.63. This is largely due to higher housing costs (especially in cities such as San Francisco and LA) and gas prices, the highest in the country.
According to benefits.gov, to be eligible for California Medicaid, you must be a resident of the state of California, a U.S. national, citizen, permanent resident, or legal alien, in need of health care/insurance assistance, whose financial situation would be characterized as low income or very low income. You must also be one of the following:
California's Medicaid health care program is called Medi-Cal. It pays for medical care for children and adults with limited income and resources. Medi-Cal is supported by Federal and state taxes and designed to help a wide variety of families and individuals who need assistance. Before 2013 Medi-Cal was known as the California Healthy Families program.
Several Medi-Cal programs can help California seniors get the care options they need, such as the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Program, the Assisted Living Waiver Program (ALWP), and the Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP) Waiver. Some of these can help keep seniors at home rather than in nursing homes, while others can pay for community fees or help provide respite relief for caregivers. Keep in mind that there is high demand for these care services and some may have wait lists.
There are a few non-Medicaid assistance programs in California, including California Paid Family Leave, which offers up to six weeks paid time off for working professionals, so that they may care for a family member. You may also be able to find programs at the city level, like San Francisco’s Support at Home program. For more ways to find assisted living help, check the “Free assisted living resources in California” section below.
There are several options available to finance assisted living for yourself or a loved one. Long-term care can be financed several ways:
Caifornia residents can explore state resources that can help answer your questions about eligibility for certain types of benefits and how they might apply to assisted living.
Find your local Area Agency on Aging: There are multiple agencies per state, enter your zip code or city to find the one closest to you.
The California Department of Veterans Affairs may be able to help you determine if your loved one is eligible for VA benefits.
Find California Social Security offices where you can understand your benefits and get answers to your questions about claims.
