In our last post of the “From Your Vantage Point” series we talked about the price tag of senior living and what is behind a senior living community’s pricing. In that article, we briefly addressed that residents in senior living communities pay for much more than simply the rent of an apartment.
Today we’d like to take an opportunity to go into more detail about what “much more” means.
As in the previous post, what’s included in your rent depends on what level of service you’re receiving: independent living, assisted living, and memory care. For that purpose, we’ll break this article down according to these variations. It’s important to note that not all communities are created equal, and the extent of services offered will vary depending on the location. The lists provided below detail the many items Vantage Point Retirement Living is proud to include as part of rent:
What’s included in independent living rent?
- Taxes and utilities: Since residents do not own their apartment, they are no longer responsible for paying property taxes. Most utilities are included in the rent of an apartment, such as electric, water, sewer, and trash removal.
- Routine maintenance and upkeep: Having a problem with an appliance? Call maintenance and they’ll be there to investigate the issue. Pending the issue isn’t resident caused, we’ll fix it for you free of charge. Best of all, there is an on-site presence around the clock.
- Security: Security features include a 24-hour a day presence on-site, as well as a resident concierge who is staffed at the main entrance to oversee deliveries, visitors and other guests. Technology adds to the security of a community by providing 24-hour surveillance of common areas, and locked side doors that require card access for entry. Additionally, the main doors to the community are locked during overnight hours to provide additional peace of mind.
- Housekeeping: One of the BEST perks of renting at an independent living community is that you receive regular housekeeping services – at no additional charge! Vantage Point Retirement Living communities offer weekly housekeeping that includes vacuuming, dusting, and bathroom cleaning. In addition, we’ll even clean your sheets and towels and replace them. No more wrestling with sheets!
- Dining services: At almost any independent living community, some sort of dining program is offered to residents. Some communities provide a certain number of meals per month, but Vantage Point communities do things a little differently. Rather than offer a cursory number of meals per month, we provide an allowance – usually $200 per person – to use any way they wish throughout the month. We feel this is more fair for the resident, since the value of a meal differs depending on the time of day (lunch/dinner) and type of meal (sandwich/full entrée).
- Activities & Fitness Programs: You can close your gym and/or country club memberships, because at an independently living community you will receive access to fitness facilities, exercise classes, and endless social activities to keep you as engaged and busy in everyday life as you’d like to be. All activities provided on-site and by community staff are generally included in your rent.
- Access to community amenities: When you live in an independent living community, convenient amenities are available for your enjoyment pretty much around the clock. Examples of such amenities include movie theater, pub, activity room, community kitchen, library, business center, fitness facilities, and more
- Transportation: As an independent living resident, you’ll enjoy the convenience of being able to hop on the community bus for scheduled shopping, banking, and other trips. Best of all, this group transportation is included in your rent!
So… what’s not included in the monthly rent?
At Vantage Point communities, there are some things that are not free of charge. Certain technology is not included – cable and Internet. Next, if you receive a service at a location such as our salon and spa, you’ll be billed for that service on your monthly statement. Additionally, if you would like to reserve a private car, a minimal fee for personal transportation is required. And lastly, you’ll be billed if you spend beyond your $200 per person allotment in the dining room each month.
What’s included in assisted living rent?
All the services mentioned above and more are included in your monthly rent, with a few added benefits:
- Meals: Rather than a $200 allowance, assisted living residents at a Vantage Point community receive ALL meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner – included in their rent. We also provide an anytime café with snacks and refreshments available 24/7.
- Healthcare Support: An assisted living community is staffed around the clock with a healthcare team of resident aids and licensed nurses. All residents receive an emergency call pendant that they can push in case they need assistance and the team checks on residents throughout the day as part of a personalized support plan.
So…what’s not included in assisted living?
Because all residents have unique needs, additional fees apply depending on the additional assistance a resident requires throughout the day. These fees are determined through a wellness assessment which establishes a resident’s personalized support plan.
What’s included in memory care rent?
All the services mentioned above for independent living and assisted living, with a few added benefits:
- Specialized programming in a secure environment with increased staffing: As in assisted living, memory care residents receive the peace of mind knowing someone is available around the clock. However, memory care residents have unique needs that require a specially trained staff in a secure environment. As a result, the resident to staff ratio in memory care is higher than in assisted living.
What’s not included in memory care?
Some residents require additional support that goes above and beyond what is included in the base rent. Additional fees will apply depending on the additional assistance a resident requires throughout the day. These fees are determined through a wellness assessment which establishes a resident’s personalized support plan.
Don’t forget to compare ALL of your current costs!
With all that’s included in the monthly rent of an apartment, prospective residents are often surprised that their monthly rent isn’t all that different from what they spend every month on the cost to live in and maintain their home, as well pay for transportation, dining out, activities, gym memberships, etc. We’ve created a handy comparison sheet for you to reference and encourage you to do a cost comparison. We hope you’ll be pleased with the results.
- Cost comparison for The Lodge at Truitt Homestead – Rehoboth Beach, DE: Click here
- Cost comparison for Arcadia at Limerick Pointe – Limerick, PA: Click here
If you’d like to discuss all that is included in the rent of an apartment at a Vantage Point community, we encourage you to email [email protected]. We look forward to discussing the many included services and amenities, as well as answering any questions you have.
