Iowa is the 16th oldest state in the country, with 1.1 million people over the age of 50.
Our state's population is only going to get older, so the need for senior living communities is clear. Unfortunately, our median household income is far below the national average, so many communities are unaffordable for most families.
If this describes your situation, it's important to know that you can still find quality of care; it just requires more due diligence. To find affordable senior housing options, you need to determine what your loved one needs and what's available around you.
Today, we'll help you discover affordable elder care options in Carroll. Keep reading and you'll know exactly what to look for and prioritize with senior living choices.
Before you start budgeting for senior care, you need to think about what your loved one needs. There are a few different types of senior housing options out there. Maximizing your budget is more about matching the right type of care with what your loved one needs than cutting costs.
Here are the three most prevalent types of senior care you'll find:
An independent living community is best for a healthy senior. These communities provide staff, but seniors are mostly left to enjoy a low-maintenance life with plenty of freedom.
That being said, they'll still enjoy a variety of community amenities and activity programming to bring the community together. They're great for seniors to improve their social lives while looking after their physical and dietary health.
When your loved one has more challenging health issues, they'll need assisted living. A community like this will have staff around all day, every day to help with whatever residents need. This might include getting dressed, maintaining personal hygiene, or taking medications.
Residents of assisted living still enjoy exciting amenities, events, and activities. They're great for helping seniors with health issues maximize their social lives, giving both residents and their families peace of mind.
Over 66,000 Iowans deal with the effects of cognitive decline via Alzheimer's and dementia. If your loved one is among them, they'll need memory care.
This is offered through some assisted living communities. It gives residents the same kind of care as assisted living but with added services to help them deal with their symptoms. Staff are highly trained to manage the evolving and challenging effects of cognitive decline to provide the highest quality of life possible for residents.
Choosing the right type of care will help you narrow your search. Obviously, the more care is involved, the more expensive it'll be. When you start looking at communities, consider the following factors to help you decide what's most important to you and your budget.
Getting a sense of a community's reputation is a crucial part of the decision-making process. Finding inexpensive care for seniors may be important to you, but you never want to sacrifice quality for a loved one.
Look at ratings and reviews to help you narrow your search. Loved ones of current and former residents should carry a lot of weight. If there are any red flags about a community, these are the people who can tell you more about them.
Location plays a big role in cost. More expensive communities tend to be situated in population centers, surrounded by local amenities. You can save a lot of money by choosing a community that's a bit further out from shops and restaurants.
An important consideration with senior living location is the transition into care. If your loved one is sheepish about this change, it'll be helpful to choose a community where family and friends can visit regularly.
When you start touring communities - another essential part of the process - you'll want to gauge the quality of the accommodations and community amenities. These are the things that will draw seniors to one community over another, so it's important to inspect them thoroughly.
Rooms should be comfortable and provide everything your loved one needs to be happy. In terms of amenities, it's about matching your loved one's interests with what a community offers.
These are both areas where you can save money. By sacrificing a bit of space or in-suite amenities that aren't necessary to your loved one's happiness, you can save quite a bit of money each month.
Activity programming is important for your loved one's quality of life. All good communities should have daily activities to promote health and wellness. That said, these activities don't need to break the bank.
Things like running clubs, game nights, and mindfulness classes won't add to your senior living costs, but they'll help your loved one stay happy and healthy. Seniors need at least 30 minutes of exercise per day to avoid health issues.
They also need a strong social life to avoid feelings of isolation. Look for a community that values the community mindset over expensive events and activities.
One area where you can break the bank is with nutrition. Nutrition and exercise are the two most important things for senior health. Not every resident is going to cook healthy meals for themself.
Good communities will allot resources to provide healthy and delicious in-house dining multiple times per day. When your loved one eats a healthy diet, they'll strengthen their bones and joints while avoiding heart problems, diabetes, and even some cancers.
These are the things you need to consider when seeking housing options for your aging loved one. If you know what to prioritize, you can maximize your budget and get the most out of their elderly care plans.
For Carroll residents, the best way to get quality and affordable care is with Addington Place of Carroll. Our amazing assisted living and memory care community has everything your loved one needs to enjoy a happy, healthy retirement.
Contact us today to book a tour and see the community for yourself.