COST CALCULATOR FOR SENIOR LIVING IN Darien, CT

There are many ways families pay for senior living in Darien, CT, but the most common method is to use private funds, such as savings and retirement accounts.

Consider:

• 401(k)s, IRAs, Pensions
• Social Security, Investments
• Sale of car, excess furniture and other valuables

To determine what works best for your unique situation, consult a professional financial planner.

If you’re a veteran or the spouse of a veteran, you may qualify for the Veterans Affairs Aid and Attendance pension (also known as the A&A program). This pension helps veterans and their surviving spouses who require the assistance of a caregiver who helps with activities of daily living, including bathing and getting dressed.

Assisted and supportive care in a senior living community – whether provided by community staff or a third party – qualify as part of this program.

Atria is proud to be home to more than 2,500 veterans and 50+ home front workers, many of whom are using the Aid and Attendance pension to help pay for care services in our communities across the country. Our Veterans Affairs Aid and Attendance pension brochure provides more details about this pension and how to determine if you qualify.

Atria also offers a $1,000 Welcome Home credit to veterans, which can be used toward rent, moving costs or anything that makes the move easier.

When you don’t have immediate access to all the funding you need for a move to senior living, there are financing options that can help.

Consider:

• Tapping into your home’s equity as a possible resource for additional income; it may also be tax-deductible
• A home equity line of credit, which is similar to a home equity loan, however you can borrow from an available pool of money as needed and only pay interest on the money borrowed
• Reverse mortgages, which work in some situations, but require at least one homeowner to continue living in the house
• Personal loans, which may be a good short-term option, although interest rates are higher and they are generally not tax-deductible
• Bridge loans, which provide immediate access to funds to pay for senior care until funds are fully available – though they generally have higher interest rates and a short repayment period

To determine if a loan is best for your unique situation, consult a trusted, professional tax or financial advisor.

There are several ways you can use your current life insurance policy to free up cash that can be used to help fund your living needs.

Consider:

• Taking a loan from your current life insurance policy, with the understanding that it will reduce your policy benefits accordingly
• Surrendering a life insurance policy and receiving a cash payout
• Learning if your policy features an accelerated death benefit rider, which may give you access to a portion of the death benefit if you become terminally ill
• Taking a life settlement, where you can sell your existing life insurance policy to a third-party company that typically pays more than the surrender value
• Converting your life insurance policy to a long-term care assurance benefit plan

Long-term care insurance covers individuals who need long-term care or assistance with several activities of daily living, such as bathing and getting dressed.

If you need assisted living, nursing home or in-home care services and do not have long-term care insurance or the funds to cover associated costs – and you do not qualify for Medicaid – you may convert your existing life insurance policy to a long-term care assurance benefit plan.

This plan covers assisted living and long-term care expenses at the time services are needed, without requiring you to spend down your financial assets to qualify for Medicaid coverage. This conversion option is a Medicaid-qualified spend down of your life insurance asset that extends the time you remain a private payer before going onto Medicaid.

For more information on converting your life insurance policy into a long-term care plan, contact your financial advisor.

While listing and selling one’s home through a real estate agent is a good option, many families capitalize on real estate investments without giving up their homes.

Consider:

• Selling the home to a family member who inherits it or otherwise keeps the home in the family
• Renting the home to a family member until everyone is ready to make a long-term decision

Tax deductions can be useful in balancing the costs of senior living. Depending on the type of services and level of care required, older adults may be eligible for certain deductions on their federal tax return.

The IRS allows deductions for the costs of housing and meals for qualifying seniors receiving long-term care in a home or community due to chronic illness or the inability to live alone. Assisted living or supportive living residents may qualify for these deductions if a physician certifies that they have been unable to perform at least two activities of daily living (such as eating, bathing or getting dressed) without assistance for at least 90 days. The same deductions can apply to those who require substantial supervision because of a cognitive impairment, such as Alzheimer’s disease.

An adult child paying for their parent’s care may also qualify for the tax deductions if they can claim the parent as a dependent.

Our Tax Deductions Guide for Senior Living brochure provides more details about how these deductions may apply at Atria. While we are happy to provide this introduction to the possible tax benefits of senior living, we encourage you to consult a tax advisor for further information.

Atria Darien’s monthly rates are determined based on apartment selection plus care services (if any are needed).

To determine the level of care needed, each resident receives a thorough assessment from a licensed nurse of their physical, emotional and functional status prior to move-in. During the first 30 days, a reassessment will be performed to verify we are providing the appropriate level of care. Thereafter, additional assessments are performed no less than quarterly or as needed based on caregiver recommendations or a perceived change in condition.

These assessments help determine the amount of time and level of assistance a resident may require and are among the factors we consider in determining and monitoring staff levels. The level of care can be adjusted as needs change. This way, each resident receives the appropriate amount of personal assistance needed to remain as independent as possible.

Visit the apartments page to view pricing.