I am 70 and he is 73. Dan worked up until 6 months ago. He then had lung cancer surgery, for the third time. He is doing very well, but is not able to find work. I am 70 and also unable to work. We live on social security and a small monthly pension. We are interested in the Marion Manor since we have several friends living their. Can you please advise us as to how to go about this process please?
After you visit a few and get their costs, you will likely be very confused, since it is not easy to compare apples to apples.
Also, I cannot stress this enough, the AL rent that you pay, does NOT cover everything: read their materials carefully, most do not cover 3 meals per day, some that I visited only covered 14 dinners or 20 lunches....it all depends.
The rent will likely increase 5% per year.
Most ALF's are private pay only---if you deplete your funds, you will be evicted, and they have no obligation to find you a Medicaid facility (or help you apply for this funding).
You will also still have to pay for Medicare B & D, all your prescriptions, all your other non-food grocery items (shampoo, Depends, bug spray), eyeglasses, orthopedic shoes, etc. For my parent, these items were about $10,000 per year---so don't just think you can afford $3,000-$4,000 per month rent, you will also have many other expenses, not covered by the ALF.
They may present you with a "menu" which is their way of trying to appear to customize or reduce your costs (as opposed to a nursing home with 3 or 5 levels of care) but in actuality, once you are there, every little thing you ask them to do for you will result in a cost charged to your account.
I leave this comment in the best of interests to both you and all of the wonderful ALF's out there, but in my experience, very few middle classed people can afford to move to an ALF. And there is no financial "aid" for us.
Another thing to consider is the month-to-month lease...might be good, might not: if the place is full and the owner's nephew's stepmom's neighbor (with lots of money) needs a room with a view, you might just be asked to leave.
Approach this Life Decision with much thought, careful consideration, and above all, do NOT be swayed by the salesperson. You owe it to yourselves to be financially responsible--find what works for your REAL budget, do not go overboard and get into a situation where you cannot afford to live there anymore.