HOUSING Senior living costs in Austin higher than other Texas cities
2023 HOME EDITION
COST OF ASSISTED LIVING The average monthly
intense care, such as nursing homes, are more costly, ranging from $5,930-$8,970 a month, according to the survey. In comparison, cities such as Dallas and Houston cost no more than $4,250 a month for assisted living, and San Antonio and El Paso cost no more than $3,630 a month, the survey found. In general, costs do go up each year in these facilities, and some providers are facing higher costs due to COVID-19, AARP External Rela- tions Analyst Alexander Guerin said. On average, seniors face a 3%-5% increase in monthly rent each year. Some life insurance policies, long-term care insurance, reverse mortgages and veterans bene ts can provide nancial assistance to individuals in senior living facili- ties. Programs such as STAR+PLUS and the Community First Program can help seniors who qualify for Medicaid in Texas, according to the Assisted Living Research Institute. “These are the most helpless and vulnerable people we got,” Walters said.
cost of assisted living varies by city in Texas with the Austin area being the most expensive, according to the 2021 Genworth Cost of Care Survey.
BY ELLE BENT
“I don’t begrudge anyone for doing things that pay the bills,” Walters said. “This just seemed to be just so harsh, just so uncaring.” Out of other cities in Texas, the Austin area faces higher monthly costs in senior living facilities, per the 2021 Genworth Cost of Care Survey. The average cost of indepen- dent-living facilities in the Austin area and Dripping Springs is $3,500 a month and $5,345 a month for assisted living. Facilities with more “WHAT ARE ELDERLY PEOPLE ON FIXED INCOMES SUPPOSED TO DO?” WARREN WALTERS, SON IN LAW OF NURSING HOME RESIDENT
When Warren Walters’ mother- in-law faced a 25% rent increase in January at her senior living facility in Dripping Springs, he felt frus- trated, he said. “When we met with [the facility] on a couple of occasions to appeal for a di erent rate, they just said, ‘No, that’s just the way it is,’” Wal- ters said. “What are elderly people on xed incomes supposed to do?” Walters’ mother-in-law lives in an independent living facility, Ledge- stone Senior Living. Amy Vittitow, chief marketing o cer for Civitas Senior Living, the company that owns Ledgestone, said the community is unaware of a 25% increase, but according to a bill in March, Walters’ mother-in-law’s rent increased from $2,694 in December 2022 to $3,375 in March 2023. The rent has remained at $3,375 since.
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Monthly cost by city:
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1 Austin (Dripping Springs): $5,345 2 McAllen: $4,850 3 Houston: $4,245 4 Dallas: $4,195 5 Brownsville: $4,000 6 El Paso: $3,623 7 San Antonio: $3,413
SOURCE: GENWORTH FINANCIAL COMMUNITY IMPACT
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SOUTHWEST AUSTIN DRIPPING SPRINGS EDITION • JULY 2023
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