There are 4,525 assisted living centers in California, and the state is constantly promoted as one of the best places in the world when it comes to climate. It's no surprise that many seniors have this status at the top of their list of places to retire and live for seniors. California's elderly population is expected to grow substantially, and many of these seniors were living on fixed and limited incomes and need counseling to obtain affordable housing and find affordable housing. Choosing the right assisted living facility for you or a loved one is one of the most important decisions you'll have to make as an older adult, so it's essential to conduct a thorough and detailed investigation of potential centers.
We've compiled a comprehensive directory of assisted living centers in California, and reviewing this directory is a great way to jumpstart the research process. Use the tool below to review information about services, center size, pricing, health insurance, and more. Search quickly through our full directory Medi-Cal is California's combined federal and state program designed to help pay for health care for public assistance recipients and other low-income people. Medi-Cal doesn't directly cover the full cost of assisted living, but the program does offer an exemption to cover long-term care services for older people who qualify for a nursing home but who could meet their personal and health needs in an assisted living facility.
Seniors must also meet certain financial requirements to be eligible for the assisted living exemption. The cost part is essentially a settlement for seniors whose incomes are too high to qualify for Medi-Cal benefits, but too low to pay their health care expenses. The cost part requires people to spend a certain amount of their income on health care before Medi-Cal provides coverage. As noted, Californians who have approved access to Medi-Cal through a cost-sharing agreement are not eligible for the assisted living exemption.
To apply for Medi-Cal coverage and discuss the assisted living exemption, you'll need to contact your local county office. In addition, area agencies on aging are a good place to start the application process. Your local agency may be able to help you create a more complete and detailed picture of your retirement. Government and non-profit organizations in California can offer free assistance to older people and their loved ones in the process of finding information about long-term care options.
These organizations are a great starting point for understanding your rights and options. Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) is a network of hundreds of non-profit organizations in California and across the United States that provide federally funded services to adults over 60 years of age in their respective local areas. California has many local agencies for seniors that offer comprehensive information on various types of community programs and supports for seniors. Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa and Tuolumne counties) Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Plumas and Tehama) Del Norte and Humboldt counties) Lassen, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou and Trinity counties) Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Sierra, Sutter, Yolo and Juba counties) San Benito and Santa Cruz counties) San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties).
California Social Security offices offer another great resource for seniors seeking help. By contacting or visiting a Social Security office, you and your loved one can get a better idea of your social security benefits and what you can spend on assisted living expenses. It should be noted that Social Security income is not taxable in this state. Below is a list of Social Security offices in California: Bakersfield Social Security Offices Los Angeles Social Security Offices Oakland Social Security Offices Sacramento Social Security Offices San Diego Social Security Offices Service plans should be updated every time the resident experiences a significant change in their health status to ensure that the services provided continue to meet their needs.
Residents must be able to direct their own care and can be admitted if they have an authorized third party to help them with certain health conditions such as oxygen administration, catheter care, complications of diabetes, dementia or incontinence. Assistance with activities of daily living such as dressing, bathing and other personal hygiene needs; assistance to self-administer medications; control food intake or adherence to a specialized diet; all these services must be defined in writing by each assisted living community in California before admission. For any assisted living community you're considering it's important to review the scope of care and services you or your loved one need to ensure that they can meet your needs. Residents can find help with cost coverage through an assisted living exemption available in California's Medicaid program known as Medi-Cal.
The Medicaid exemption may cover medical and care-related services for California seniors who live in an assisted living community but it does not cover room costs (26%) for food. Assisted living communities in California are not required to provide private apartments for seniors but they may offer apartment type residences or rooms with single or double occupancy; each unit must have one bathroom for every 6 residents with a shower or bathtub for every 10 residents; private occupancy is required but shared occupancy is allowed at residents' choice; units must have a refrigerator and kitchen appliance; residents can administer their own medications as long as the doctor deems them mentally and physically capable of doing so; staff who help self-administer medications must complete courses pass an exam and complete hours of training depending on the number of residents living in the center; a nurse pharmacist or doctor must oversee the training and exam.
