If you’ve been considering assisted living for yourself or a senior loved one, you may have done all kinds of great research on things like what levels of continuing care are available and what makes it different from independent living. But you may have been avoiding looking too closely at one element of moving to assisted living: the cost. This is understandable, given that aging comes with certain considerations such as a fixed income and the desire to leave an inheritance to loved ones. But if you’ve been wondering (or afraid to wonder) what assisted living in Knoxville costs, we’re here to put your mind at ease.
First, let’s get the numbers out of the way. According to Genworth’s 2019 Cost of Care Survey, the median monthly cost of assisted living in Knoxville is $3,625. SeniorAdvice.com gives a slightly lower median estimate of $3,465 per month and a range of $43-$187 per day; the site also notes that the average annual cost of assisted living in Knoxville is lower than the national average. Both figures are less than the Genworth survey’s estimated cost of staying at home and paying for in-home care — which is especially impressive given how much more is covered by the cost of assisted living than you have access to at home. Read on to learn about what you’ll be paying for when you choose assisted living in Knoxville.
Room and Board
Because of the lingering stereotypes of “nursing homes” of the past, some people picture assisted living accommodations as cookie-cutter and restrictive. But today, high-quality assisted living communities offer a variety of floor plans, and residents are encouraged to personalize their living spaces to make them feel as homey as possible. And there’s more to assisted living than just your bedroom. Residents have access to common areas such as sitting rooms, large gathering rooms for entertaining guests, libraries, workout rooms, gardens, arts and crafts studios, and more. Most apartment complexes in the Knoxville area won’t offer all of this, not to mention safety-related features such as slip-proof showers and extra-wide hallways to accommodate wheelchairs and walkers.
Access to Professional Care
Assisted living communities pride themselves on offering plenty of options for activity and engagement, but they also know that this stage of life is not all about fun and games. Moving to assisted living means having round-the-clock access to nurses and other dedicated care staff. Additionally, these communities often bring in medical professionals such as dentists and podiatrists to provide on-campus screenings and cut down on the need to get yourself to a doctor’s office — though they are also happy to coordinate transportation when you do need to go into town to see your doctor, of course.
Social Interaction
As we age, it gets harder and harder to make the effort to stay social. What was once an easy meetup at a coffee shop becomes more difficult when one or more parties doesn’t drive anymore, for example. But the staff at assisted living communities know how important it is for seniors to stay socially active and provide plenty of opportunities to do so without having to compare multiple calendars or figure out transportation. All of our Arbor Terrace communities foster friendly mealtime environments and organize activity programs designed for seniors of all interests and ability levels, including activities that prevent cognitive decline. And of course, at Arbor Terrace of Knoxville, we take every opportunity to get into the community and experience what Knoxville has to offer.
Enjoying This Chapter of Your Life in Knoxville: Priceless
As you can see, the cost of assisted living includes much more than just the physical space you’ll move into. At Arbor Terrace of Knoxville, we are proud of the services, amenities, and personalized care we provide our residents and their families. If you want to crunch some numbers to see what assisted living might cost for your specific case, try out our Cost Calculator. Then give us a call at 865-670-4111 to schedule a visit. We’d love to talk with you about what assisted living in Knoxville can be like.
