What do senior living monthly service fees typically cover?
Regardless of the residency contract type, all senior living communities require a monthly service fee for the duration of residency in the community. The amount of the monthly service fee will be largely determined by the size and location of their residence. And for a couple, there’s a second-person fee, too — much less than the monthly service fee — ensuring that both have access to the benefits of the community’s services and amenities.
What’s in a monthly service fee?
The once-a-month fee covers almost everything, including:
- Rent or the equivalent thereof
- Utilities and sometimes Wi-Fi and cable
- Housekeeping for the residence
- Maintenance of the residence “inside the walls,” including appliances that come with the residence
- Dining via credits used at residents’ discretion, or via a plan with a set number of meals daily or weekly
- Housekeeping and maintenance of the community’s common spaces and amenities
- Community groundskeeping (does not include residents’ in-home plants)
- Community services and the salaries of those who provide those services, i.e., community leadership, emergency response, social activities, physical fitness needs/areas, scheduled transportation, front desk, dining and serving staff, and sometimes valet services
What happens to the monthly service fee after independent living?
When a resident moves from independent living into assisted living or residential living, memory support, or skilled nursing, the monthly service fee is increased to cover the additional care plus daily meals.
Life, simplified.
Most of the costs of living are rolled into the monthly service fee, and residents appreciate the simplicity: One payment takes care of almost everything needed for their day-to-day senior living community lifestyle.