Assisted living facilities are an ideal option for seniors that are looking to receive a measure of aid in order to go about their day to day living. The scope of this particular service is pretty wide, as it can stretch from preparing daily meals and helping them take medication to driving them around to handle various errands during the day. It should also be noted that these special services are not just reserved for those that need help completing various activities for daily living. Indeed, assisted living is a terrific option for those that want a break from having to handle home maintenance and would prefer to spend more time on enjoying the leisurely life of a retiree.

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The cost of assisted living in Cincinnati

According to the 2015 Genworth Cost of Care Survey, the annual cost of assisted living facilities around Cincinnati are above the national average. In Cincinnati you will spend an average $49,320 per year and this is about $6,000 more than the nationwide average. This translates to about $4,110 per month. Remember the costs will vary from one Cincinnati assisted living home to another.

The nursing home care services, as expected, are more expensive than assisted living care. You will pay an average of $83,950 per year for nursing home care semi-private room and $97,455 for a private room. The home health care services are about $44,341 per year for homemaker services and $46,904 for the home health aide services.

For qualified veterans and their spouses, further assisted living savings may be obtainable via the Aid and Attendance Pension Benefit, which can otherwise be known as the A&A Pension Benefit. This special benefit can provide a veteran up to $1,788 per month, a surviving spouse up to $1,149 per month, or a couple up to $2,120 per month. Furthermore, a veteran with a sick spouse that applies for the program is eligible to receive up to $1,406 per month. The process to qualify for the A&A Pension Benefit is relatively simple.

Eligible veterans or surviving spouses of eligible veterans must show the need for help with activities for daily living, otherwise known as ADLs. Some of these activities include bathing, cooking, dressing, medication management, leaving the house for errands and appointments, and grooming. With that being said, seniors do not need to demonstrate that they need help for all of these activities. Aid and Attendance funds can assist in paying for ADL services in numerous places, such as an assisted living community, skilled nursing home, or within the confines of the senior’s own home. For those that are interested, it should be noted that the application process could take several months from beginning to end, but retroactive payments are sent upon the program’s approval.

What to Expect in Assisted Living

Cincinnati, Ohio is an excellent retirement choice for senior veterans, especially since it has plenty of nursing homes and assisted living centers.

The state of Ohio requires assisted living homes to provide up to 120 days of part-time skilled nursing services, have skilled nursing services that may be provided by hospice or by an outside licensed home healthcare agency. More so, the state says that bathroom facilities can be shared by up to 8 residents for facilities that were constructed before April 2007. Facilities that were constructed after that date should have a bathroom for each living unit.

The assisted living facilities are located all around Cincinnati and some of the common facilities include: the Hyde Park Health Center, Barrington of Oakley, Lianfair Retirement Community and Brookdale Finneytown, among others. The costs and services offered in these facilities are different yet similar in some ways. Here are a few services that are offered by almost all Cincinnati, Ohio Assisted Living Centers.

What’s Included in Assisted Living?

Many Cincinnati assisted living communities offer the following services:

• Shared (up to 4 people) or individual/private living units (from single to multi-room apartments) with cooking facilities.
• A common dining room where daily meals are served.
• Assistance with self-administered medications or administration of medications.
• Health supervision and monitoring.
• Personal care services, including help with some daily activities such as bathing, eating and dressing.
• Exercise and social activities.
• Some minimal nursing services.
• 24/7 security
• Basic utilities like electricity and water. Some facilities provide Internet, cable TV and more.
• Social and recreational activities including holiday parties, birthday parties, religious services, trips to museums, movie nights and game nights, among others.

What may be available for an extra fee?

Some communities may also offer additional on-site perks that residents can pay extra to utilize. Typically, these perks can include private transportation, personal laundry service, beauty salon services, and massage sessions.

The continuum-of-care option

Additionally, many seniors look for an assisted living service known as a continuum of care, which essentially describes a facility that can provide accommodation for residents regardless of what their specific need may be. Residents in these particular communities typically don’t have to deal with as many big moves should their health or daily needs shift, and they will also remain in a familiar setting even if their health dictates that they have to move to a different building within the facility’s complex. Prices on continuum of care do fluctuate based on the actual service that is needed.

Resources, volunteer opportunities and points of interest for veterans

Cincinnati veterans in need of medical help and/ or A&A pension need to visit VeteranAid.org for the application process and requirements for eligibility.

Veterans are given an opportunity to volunteer at the Cincinnati Medical VA center. For those that do not have the time to volunteer they can also donate cash using the E-Donate platform. For those that love history and museums there is the Cincinnati Goes to War museum that will take you way back the world war II.