What Your Monthly Fee Actually Covers

Looking beyond the base rate, what do you really get at an Assisted Living community?

When you or a loved one considers a move to an assisted living community, conversations cover a variety of topics about care, amenities, and timing, but eventually, discussions drift to cost. Reasonably, families will want to know, “What will we actually get for what we’re paying?”

Fee structures for assisted living can be unnecessarily confusing. Measuring value requires transparency and predictability.

Personalized Pricing vs. The “A La Carte” Trap

Many assisted living facilities advertise a low base rate, only to layer on charges often called a la carte or fee-for-service models. These unpredictable charges can cause a resident’s monthly bills to fluctuate wildly and often result in families paying for services their loved one doesn’t want or need.

Residents should be able to obtain a simple, itemized statement that outlines their base room and board costs followed by any special services. And, for planning purposes, this fee should be consistent as long as a loved one’s needs remain relatively stable. At Calyx, our fee structure represents a consolidated, simple investment in health, wellness, and renewal and is designed to provide the assurance and security needed for a fully vibrant life.

Hidden Costs for Medication

The cost of medication management is one of the most common and often intentionally convoluted hidden costs in senior living. All communities charge residents to manage their medications. Some raise their fee if the amount of medicine a resident takes increases.

• Many communities implement a tiered system that charges a resident more based on the number of pills they take or the frequency of administration. This can quickly inflate a monthly bill and create a barrier to care.
• At Calyx, we charge a single, fixed fee for medication administration, regardless of the volume. Whether a resident requires two daily pills or 15, the fee remains the same. This is a key element of our simple, authentic pricing.

Comprehensive Monthly Inclusions

The initial cost of senior living may cause “sticker shock,” but a true financial evaluation requires shifting your perspective. A robust senior living community like Calyx Living offers more value than it may initially seem, and you may be surprised by how costs associated with assisted living compare to a loved one’s at-home expenses.

• An a la carte pricing structure can spill over from resident care into community activities and amenities. To reduce monthly surprises, we encourage families to ask for a full list of what is–and what is not–included in their base Room and Board fee.
• At Calyx, we intentionally provide a high-value, all-inclusive lifestyle for assisted living residents that removes burdens associated with home management. Our simple, monthly fee includes all of the services below.

Special or Personalized Care

All communities, even Calyx, have some services that fall into out-of-pocket expenses like dry cleaning, haircuts and styling, nail care, additional housekeeping requests, or extra meals for visitors.

At Calyx, personalized experiences and special extras fall outside of a resident’s monthly services.

These are truly ancillary fees only charged to residents who need or elect to have them added to their monthly bill. Some examples:

• Pets and pet care
• Additional housekeeping
• Orders from the Calyx Bistro
• Guest and/or Family Night meals above what’s included in a resident’s monthly fee
• Salon services
• Cable TV

Watch out for communities that allow (or encourage) residents to customize access to routine services and activities. When an assisted living facility uses an itemized list, charges can add up fast, especially when you expect or “think” that the service or amenity “should” be included. It’s critical to know what’s included and what’s not so you can make an educated decision.