Kansas Assisted Living

Kansas is home to a variety of assisted living communities that enable senior Kansans to enjoy the best of life during their retirement years. When you begin your search for the best assisted living in Kansas, you will find various communities with different policies, services, amenities, and fees. The fact that you have a variety of options to choose from doesn’t mean they are all going to be a perfect fit for your specific long-term health care needs. These needs differ depending on the health condition or particular needs of the elder individual. Hence, you must find the perfect senior care facility that you can trust as your residence to age in place comfortably.

How to Find the Best Kansas Assisted Living Facility Near You

When searching for an assisted living facility in Kansas, there are certain factors you should watch out for. You need to consider the aspects that are paramount to your decision making and will determine the quality of life you are going to be exposed to during your stay in the assisted living facility. Let’s consider these essential factors that you mustn’t wave as a mere necessity. And when they are absent or inadequate, it implies a negative indicator and that perhaps the assisted living facility may not be the best option for you.

• The physical structure of the assisted living facility

Senior citizens in Kansas must find an assisted living community that is not just a good fit for them, but for which the structure is specifically designed to accommodate their specific needs. When you tour an assisted living community in Kansas, it’s vital to observe the physical structure of the facility. What is the walking distance between the senior apartments to the dining area? How spacious are the assisted living apartments? Does the hallway look overwhelming and too long for seniors with mobility problems to walkthrough? Do you have to take an elevator before you can access specific areas of the assisted living facility? Is the property built like a hotel or a reservation unit instead of a comfy living space? Would you feel congested and stuck during winter time or would you still feel comfortable to walk around the premises?

• Daily care

You must understand how the facility provides daily care to its residents. Research has shown that seniors prefer to interact with the same caregiver regularly rather than seeking care from a different individual each day. If the assisted living facility rotates caregivers randomly among residents, it promotes a lack of confidence and trust.

• Personal care

If you are mandated to trek a long distance to receive medication or any other type of care, that could be seen as a red flag. Residents need to have some degree of privacy too, especially when it comes to medical care and supervision. The assisted living facility should provide 24-7 care to all senior residents. The care should be individualized as per the needs and preferences of each resident.

• Dining experience

When shopping for an assisted living facility in Kansas, it’s vital to consider this critical aspect because food is essential to people of all ages. Evaluate the assisted living facility’s approach toward food preparation. Will you be opportune to select the dining options you would prefer for each meal, or would there be a custom timetable for everyone irrespective of taste buds’ cravings and dietary needs?

An ideal assisted living facility must be designed in a manner that allows residents to enjoy a diverse array of residential recreational activities; and it should have enough diverse options to entertain visitors and guests. If you consider these options each time you tour an assisted living community in Kansas, you will discover the search process will be more straightforward and memorable as you identify the best assisted living facility for your loved one.

Assisted Living Regulations in Kansas

Assisted living facilities in Kansas are called Assisted Living Facilities or Residential Health Care Facilities. The Department for Aging and Disability Services oversees the licensing of these facilities in Kansas. The requirements for each living space in any senior living facility are as follows:

The senior apartment units will have a minimum of 200 square feet. This is full living space and will not include any non-living room spaces. This includes closets, alcoves, storage areas and the like.

There is required living and storage area in all assisted living units in Kansas. The bathroom must be a full bathroom with full size tub and shower, sink, and mirror. The kitchen must have food preparation and storage with refrigerator. The kitchen requirement is not necessary if the facility is a designated residential health care facility and not as an assisted living facility.

There are no specifications on how many people can share a room in assisted living facilities in Kansas. This is determined at the time according to the needs of the person. All bath areas must be accessible for those with disabilities.

Cost of Assisted Living and Payment Options in Kansas

Statewide, the monthly cost of assisted living at a base rate not including memory and Alzheimer’s care in Kansas is above the national average at $4,556. There is no extreme change from county to county in the state of Kansas for costs associated with senior living facilities. The rate is well above the national average in some cities such as Lawrence, which is at $5,265 monthly, and Topeka which is at $5,300 per month. Memory care can add between $800 and $1,200 per month on top of the base rate.

There are no programs via Medicaid that will assist in paying for Kansas assisted living directly. There is an assisted living waiver that is available called the Frail Elderly waiver. The income can be no greater than $1,747 to qualify, but if it is, there is a way to get around it. The state has something called the “Pay Down” program. There’s more to it and there are qualifiers, but in-short, this is how it works: if you have an income higher than the maximum allowed for Medicaid, either as a couple or a single, you can pay that down by having it all spent on medical bills and showing proof thereof.

Also, word to the wise. If you attempt as some do to adjust income to meet the requirements for the assisted living waiver, you’ll be penalized harshly. It’s called a variety of names but essentially, it’s the “Lookback Law”.

If you’re in a bind about how to pay for assisted living facilities in Kansas, there are other ways to accomplish this. You can buy some time by keeping the senior at home and using one of the stay-at-home waivers to help pay for costs. Such waivers are typically available in most states. Then, when it comes time to put the senior into an assisted living facility or a Kansas retirement home, you will have researched other options. Some of those options are long-term-care insurance, annuities, renting your property out or selling, and reverse mortgages. There are plenty of non-profit organizations that will have supplements to help pay for assisted living for those who qualify. Police, fire and military are some of the most common ones.