Should assisted living be more accessible/affordable to the average senior citizen?

Question

So, I think everyone can agree that healthcare in America is total shit.
With my grandmother getting older we found that assisted living will be our only choice moving forward.
We looked into it, and the cheapest one around was 48,000 per year.
That leads me to ask, why is assisted living so expensive? Should the government fund, or partially fund assisted living or other living situations to seniors? Any other thoughts are welcomed/appreciated :)

Answer

Assisted living is expensive because usually there are medical professionals available 24hrs. Wound care nurses, lift operators, phlebotomist, and other nurses at the facility to ensure the safety of the tenant. As well as transportation. Depending on the location what’s provided may vary. Also, depending on the location they’ll provide food, extra curricular activities, and all other living necessities to keep the tenants comfortable. So while $48,000 May seem like a lot the break down may explain it better. 
I’m not exactly sure how assisted living funds are allocated but I think it should at least be income based when it comes to assisted living housing

Answer

Yes. Take care of your old, your sick, your young, your poor. I believe there should be more government funding for elderly people of all classes. But I’m canadian and by default a bit of a socialist

Answer

Assisted living should be affordable to anyone who needs it. Elderly, disabled, anyone who is chronically ill, or terminally ill. There should be no ifs, ands, or buts. 
This comes from a friend of mine, her grandmother needs assisted living and it is costing her family $50k a year for one nurse who isn't even there all day. They are at the point they can't afford it but they can't afford to have her grandmother live with them as someone should have to give up their job and they have 3 kids in university still.

Answer

Yes! ASLs should be covered or partially covered by the state/health insurance. I know personally in PA, for any government assisted programs, it is based on income! (Less than $1000/month income). You have to plan ahead and liquidate all assets 5 years before needing care to show you are “poor” enough. There are options if you are poor enough, but if not, you basically have to spend down your savings and assets before Medicaid picks up the cost for the state waiver program or care in a skilled nursing home.

Answer

I wish :( my family pays $12,000 a month with the help of SS and medicade (we pay the difference) for my mom to be in a less than impressive nursing home WITH a roommate...  the cost is insane.. there is NO need for that kind of expense...

Answer

At that price around my area, you are getting A LOT for assisted living. Nurse care, lifestyle help (eating, bathroom, etc). It's basically a nanny who does everything and also helps with health issues. There are cheaper options depending on live in, staying at a facility, 24 hour care vs weekly care, etc. 
No, the government should not fund it.

Answer

GURL...Let me tell you!

There should totally be a more affordable route for elderly people who have nothing. The ones who live off social security don't make that much, first of all. And it BARELY pays for all the meds they need, etc! 
So here is a little backstory to this response: I recently went through something with my grandmother that I honestly didn't think she was ever going to come out of. She has A-fib and it throws her into congestive heart failure all the time. She spent 3 months in and out of hospitals and emergency rooms. THREE MONTHS GIRL! And it's only me and my mom who take care of her. My mom is a SPED teacher and I am a police officer so our schedules are quite complicated. So when this happened and she would get admitted, then discharged a week later, only to go back in that night, we we're getting frustrated with the hospital, having no sleep, all her dogs to deal with, and just the situation in it's entirety. Eventually she had a pacemaker placed and now everything is fine again.

But during that time, my mom or myself could provide long term around the clock care for her and her insurance company would always have her discharged from the hospital before we could really find out what was going on. Half the time, she wasn't even stable enough to leave. Her insurance company always like:

My mom and myself also couldn't take the time off work to help her. This is a full time job taking care of someone. I or my mom would literally have to quit our jobs. I looked into homes and communities for her to get 24 hour care and at a reasonable price but they all charged WAY TOO MUCH.

And the places around here are not worth what they charge...trust me, I know. And the ambulances are always dispatched out there. But you would think that if there are apartments that cater to low income families and mixed income communities, that there would be affordable  elder care. There is NONE! And it makes me so mad because in this situation, my family desperately needed it. And if you hire a private nurse, it's just as much as one of these homes.

There needs to be homes like this for families who need it, even if it is just temporary. But now we are stuck with all these medical debts. It's sorta sad that you ha e to put yourself into a crippling debt to be healthy sometimes.

There NEEDS to be something out there for the average person who, after they retire and get old, they have someone to take care of them. I personally cannot have kids, so my future is looking pretty lonely and I'm already 30. But it would be nice to think that after working my ass off for my city that I would be able to be a resident of this home or community for a reasonable price (because I will not be able to collect social security) and finish out my days.

Sorry for the long post but you just struck the right nerve with me! This has been something I wanted to get off my chest for the last year.

Answer

I wouldnt be opposed to government funded ALFa but only if they're held to really high standards. And I don't see that happening. The LTC industry has some of the lowest paid healtcare workers in the industry and it shows. Pricey assisted living facilities at least ensure that employees are well compensated and held to high standards...in most cases at least, there are expensive facilities that still offer substandard care, unfortunately 
personally speaking, I will probably explore other options with my own mom if it comes to that. she won't be able to afford a nice ALF facility and I'm not sticking her in a Medicaid bed in a substandard nursing home. I work in the industry and i've seen things

Answer

My husband worked at a state run, government funded nursing home for less than a year as the manager of their maintenance department.
It was horrible. They had the maintenance workers giving patients their medicine, which is illegal. Cockroach infestations. Patients sitting for days in filth. The basement had a sewage leak and was knee deep in raw sewage that they never fixed. 
He took pictures, turned them in to the proper authorities, and quit. It’s still running 3 years later and never had a single change. It’s still the same way it was when he was there. Government run and government policed, they took all the evidence of abuse and neglect he gave them and did jack shit with it.
If that’s what a government run assisted living facility looks like then no, the government needs to get the hell away from our old people. They do not deserve that sort of treatment. I would rather spend a fortune and do without certain things myself for my parents when the time comes than ever send them to a place like that. If $48,000 a year is what it takes to keep them from a place like that then I’ll downsize as needed and make it happen.

Should assisted living be more accessible/affordable to the average senior citizen?

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