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Everything you need to navigate senior care

Explore senior care information, tips, and tools to help you make the very best decisions for your aging loved one — and yourself.



Signs it’s time for senior care

It can be difficult to recognize when a loved one needs a higher level of care. Signs like weight loss, poor hygiene, and increasing forgetfulness can point to more serious underlying problems. Detecting changes in your loved one’s health and abilities early on can help safeguard their well-being. The same applies to identifying and reducing caregiver stress before it leads to burnout. The following articles address red flags to look for, how to assess a senior’s ability to live independently, and more.

AGING PARENTS

10 Signs Your Aging Parent Needs Help

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Caregiver Burnout: How to Identify and Reverse Course

Discover tips and resources for alleviating caregiver stress.

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What to Do When a Parent is Diagnosed With Dementia: 10 Steps to Help You Move Forward

A dementia diagnosis can be difficult to navigate, but these 10 steps can help you cope and plan care for your loved one...

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A Guide to Care: Parkinson’s Disease Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Parkinson’s disease affects a lot of seniors. Learn about the causes, symptoms, and treatment.

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Activities of Daily Living for Seniors

Monitoring basic tasks like bathing, dressing, and household chores can help you decide if a loved one needs more suppor...

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Making care decisions

One of the biggest challenges caregivers face is ensuring an aging loved one’s health and safety while respecting their wishes. When other relatives aren’t on the same page, the chances for complications only increase. The following resources can help you navigate difficult care decisions, conversations, and family dynamics.

Talking With Family When You Can No Longer Care for an Elderly Parent

Learn how to talk to your family about the need for a new caregiving arrangement.

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How to Stop Family Disputes Over Elderly Parents

Siblings may disagree on how to best care for aging parents. Learn how to stop family disputes with resources and communicati...

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What to Do When Elderly Parents Refuse Help: 10 Useful Tips

Explore conversational tips and strategies to use on aging parents who refuse help.

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Overcome the Guilt of Moving a Parent to Senior Living

Even when moving to senior living is the right decision, it can trigger guilty feelings for caregivers. Use these tips to cop...

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Senior Respite Care: Short-Term Relief for Caregivers

Need a break from caregiving duties? Respite care can be provided in your home or at a senior living community.

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Senior Rehab: Better Care Options After a Hospital Stay

Learn about senior rehabilitation centers, types of rehab, typical costs, and how to prepare for rehab after a hospital stay.

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Let our care assessment guide you

Our free tool provides options, advice, and next steps based on your unique situation.

Care costs and ways to pay

The cost of senior care depends on several factors, such as location and the type and frequency of services needed. For instance, the national median cost of in-home care is $30 per hour, while the median cost of memory care is $5,995 per month. Depending on an aging loved one’s needs and financial situation, payment options may include private funds, certain types of insurance, and public benefits. Before making any care decisions, make sure you understand the differences in price and the various ways to cover these costs.

A Guide to Elder Care and Senior Living Costs

Learn about the varying costs of elder care and senior living, including the cost of assisted living, memory care, and more.

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How to Pay for Assisted Living: A Comprehensive Guide

Most families use private funds to pay for assisted living. Insurance, VA benefits, and home equity can also help cover costs...

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Long-Term Care Insurance: An In-Depth Guide and Options for 2023

For the chronically ill or disabled, this insurance can fund respite care, adult day care, senior living, and more. See if it...

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Selling a House to Pay for Care: A Guide for Seniors and Families

Learn tips on selling your parents’ home to pay for care, when to sell, and more.

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Medicare, Medicaid, and Long-Term Care

Understand the ins and outs of Medicare and Medicaid to see how you can use these programs to pay for senior care.

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Reverse Mortgages and Long-Term Care: The Pros and Cons

Explore the pros and cons of using a reverse mortgage to finance senior care and other expenses.

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Finding senior care

Choosing the right home care agency or senior living community requires a bit of legwork, but it’s worth it. First, work with your loved one to make a list of the services and features that are most important to you both. For example, would they prefer to live in a quiet, homelike setting or a large community with a full activities calendar? Is low staff turnover and rapport with their caregivers a deal breaker? Would your loved one benefit from specialized dementia care now or in the future?

 

Creating this list of non-negotiables can help you identify your priorities and narrow down your options. The following guides cover everything you need to know about next steps like touring communities, interviewing caregivers, and comparing potential providers.

CHOOSING CARE

Questions to Ask Assisted Living Facilities When Touring

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CHOOSING CARE

How to Find a Memory Care Facility: 10 Helpful Tips and a Memory Care Checklist for Tourin...

Use these 10 expert tips and a memory care checklist to find the most suitable memory care community for a loved one with dementia.

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How to Choose an Independent Living Community to Call Home

Use this helpful list of top considerations to prioritize your needs and preferences to find the right community.

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Hiring an In-Home Caregiver: A Step-by-Step Guide

Learn how to hire an in-home caregiver and the differences between hiring through an agency or independently.

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Moving to senior living

Helping a loved one transition to their new home can be emotionally and logistically challenging. Staying organized and asking for help when needed can keep stress to a minimum. If possible, include your loved one in the process, and check in with them regularly about how they’re feeling. Use the tips and checklists below to make downsizing, packing, and decorating much easier for both of you.

MOVING

Moving to Assisted Living Checklist: Where to Start, What to Keep, and Everything in Between

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MOVING

Key Items to Include on a Memory Care Packing List

The right personal items can help create a familiar and calming environment for your loved one in memory care. Read on for expert packing tips.

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6 Reasons Why Visiting Elderly Parents is Important After a Move to a Senior Living Commun...

Think your presence is less important after a loved one moves to senior living? Think again. Discover how regular visits...

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Helping Seniors Move: Design and Downsizing Tips for Senior Living

Get expert advice on downsizing, decorating, and where to turn for help with the move to senior living.

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Tips and support for caregivers

Families often focus on providing the best possible care for their loved ones, but you should get the support you need, too. Help for caregivers comes in many different forms: information, connections, products, and services. Having all the right resources can make a big difference in your own physical and mental health and your ability to help others. Browse our most popular articles on caregiving support below.

CAREGIVER SUPPORT

22 Best Caregiver Support Groups Online and In-Person

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The Worrying Facts About Caregiver Health and Stress

Caring for a loved one can be rewarding, but it can also lead to burnout and poor health outcomes.

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How to Talk to Someone With Dementia: 10 Expert Alzheimer’s Communication Strategies

Alzheimer's may make it difficult to talk with a loved one like you used to. These tips can help you better communicate.

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9 Free Apps to Help Manage Caregiver Duties

Use these 9 free apps to help coordinate care, manage medication, and track symptoms.

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How to Speak to Your Parent’s Doctors: Tips for Successful Communication With Your Parent ...

Learn strategies to help you speak to your loved one's doctors, define your role, and form a care team.

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Explore more

Filter by topic

MEDICAL

Best Foods for Dementia Patients to Eat

CAREGIVER SUPPORT

Tips on How to Redirect a Loved One With Dementia

PRODUCTS

8 Must-Have Assistive Devices for the Elderly

MEDICAL

The 7 Stages of Dementia: What They Are and What To Expect

MEDICAL

Elderly Incontinence: What You Need to Know, Treatment Options, and Tips for Care

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Tips for Senior Travel: Planning Ahead, Packing Wisely, and Services to Help Simplify Air Travel for Seniors

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Assisted Living

Assisted living facilities offer housing and care for active seniors who may need support with activities of daily living, like bathing, dressing, and medication management.

The score shown is the overall experience rating which is an average of the reviews submitted for those communities. The overall experience rating is a star rating that ranges from 1 being the lowest to 5 being the highest.

Below are the 51 largest cities grouped by their metropolitan area.

Top states for Assisted Living

7.1
Alaska, AK
54 facilities
8.3
Alabama, AL
300 facilities
7.9
Arkansas, AR
138 facilities
7.8
Arizona, AZ
962 facilities
8.1
California, CA
3374 facilities
7.6
Colorado, CO
424 facilities
8.5
Connecticut, CT
172 facilities
7.8
8.3
Delaware, DE
41 facilities
8.1
Florida, FL
2027 facilities
8.0
Georgia, GA
823 facilities
5.3
Hawaii, HI
39 facilities
7.5
Iowa, IA
475 facilities
7.6
Idaho, ID
186 facilities
8.1
Illinois, IL
698 facilities
7.8
Indiana, IN
481 facilities
8.0
Kansas, KS
321 facilities
7.9
Kentucky, KY
272 facilities
7.9
Louisiana, LA
125 facilities
8.1
Massachusetts, MA
353 facilities
7.9
Maryland, MD
398 facilities
7.6
Maine, ME
144 facilities
7.9
Michigan, MI
1070 facilities
7.3
Minnesota, MN
881 facilities
7.4
Missouri, MO
530 facilities
7.9
Mississippi, MS
189 facilities
7.0
Montana, MT
135 facilities
7.6
North Carolina, NC
704 facilities
7.3
North Dakota, ND
101 facilities
7.6
Nebraska, NE
310 facilities
8.1
New Hampshire, NH
100 facilities
8.2
New Jersey, NJ
363 facilities
8.1
New Mexico, NM
138 facilities
8.3
Nevada, NV
121 facilities
8.2
New York, NY
521 facilities
8.0
Ohio, OH
928 facilities
8.1
Oklahoma, OK
248 facilities
7.2
Oregon, OR
600 facilities
7.9
Pennsylvania, PA
1095 facilities
8.3
Rhode Island, RI
66 facilities
8.1
South Carolina, SC
401 facilities
8.4
South Dakota, SD
127 facilities
8.3
Tennessee, TN
452 facilities
8.3
Texas, TX
1375 facilities
7.9
Utah, UT
166 facilities
8.2
Virginia, VA
488 facilities
8.3
Vermont, VT
59 facilities
8.0
Washington, WA
1403 facilities
7.5
Wisconsin, WI
1143 facilities
8.7
West Virginia, WV
58 facilities
4.1
Wyoming, WY
47 facilities

The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical, legal, or financial advice or create a professional relationship between A Place for Mom and the reader. Always seek the advice of your health care provider, attorney, or financial advisor with respect to any particular matter, and do not act or refrain from acting on the basis of anything you have read on this site. Links to third-party websites are only for the convenience of the reader; A Place for Mom does not endorse the contents of the third-party sites.