Health care costs continue to rise at an alarming rate.  One of these costs that many do not think about is long term care, such as assisted living or nursing care.  Nursing home care currently averages over $5700/mo, while assisted living care averages over $3000/mo.*  And unfortunately many of these costs are not covered by insurance or Medicare, unless the individual purchased a special rider policy.

Fortunately there are alternatives.  For less than half the price of one month in an assisted living home, we can implement a simple, automated home control system that can allow the individual to continue living in their current home until they truly need the expense and bother of moving into an assisted living facility.  Activities that can be automated are almost limitless, but the most common solutions are medication reminders via a speaker in the room, wireless remotes for controlling lights, appliances, and heating/ventilation, and a notification system that can send a message to a son or daughter if the parent does not complete an activity by a certain time.  For example, if the individual is not out of bed and has yet to take their medication then the son/daughter will receive a message on their phone providing a status.  These updates can be sent as often as the family would like, depending on each individual’s needs.

So before spending thousands and thousands of dollars on assisted living or a nursery home, give us a call to find out what other less expensive and more desirable options are available.

*2008 MetLife Mature Market Institute Report, Westport, Conn.