Assisted Living for Seniors with Disabilities

Who Qualifies As a Senior with a Disability?

The federal government defines “disability” in different ways, depending on the context. In the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), the term refers to an individual who “has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more ‘major life activities.’”2 That would include people who struggle with activities of daily living (ADLs).

Many types of disabilities impact people in different ways and to varying degrees. Disabilities loosely fall into four categories:

• Physical disabilities affect a person physically, often causing problems with mobility.
• Sensory disabilities affect the senses and include blindness and hearing loss.
• Intellectual disabilities cause difficulties with communication, learning, and retaining information.
• Mental illness affects behaviors, thinking, and emotional state.

Some disabilities are visible, such as using a wheelchair or crutches, but most are invisible, such as arthritis, chronic fatigue, diabetes, or epilepsy. Visible or not, disabilities can make it harder for people to live independently, especially seniors who live alone.

Types of Assisted Living for Seniors with Disabilities

Title II of the ADA, passed in 1990, demands equal housing opportunities for disabled people at state and local levels. Since the ADA passed, housing and housing options have increased and improved dramatically for people with disabilities, including older adults. Entrances to most senior housing options now include ramps and handrails. Those with multiple stories have elevators.

Today, housing options for older adults with disabilities include:

• Assisted living communities, also called supported care facilities, provide care to older adults who are unable to live independently and often need help with ADLs. Most offer private and semiprivate apartment-style units with a living area and kitchenette.
• Adult family homes, also called board and care homes or residential care homes, are typically single-family homes modified for the needs and safety of older adults. Adult family homes provide a home-like environment for two to nine unrelated residents. They offer private and semiprivate bedrooms, while the rest of the home is shared. Live-in caregivers typically provide care. Services and care types vary widely from home to home, and some specialize in very individualized care with high staff-to-resident ratios.
• Continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) offer a full continuum of care, from independent living to skilled nursing. Residents generally must be able to live independently upon move-in, but some cover increased care needs with increased fees. Housing options in a CCRC often include cottages, townhomes, condos, duplexes, and apartments.

Cost of Assisted Living for Seniors with Disabilities

The costs associated with assisted living vary. All costs depend on location, services offered, level of care required, and type of living space. Remember that prices generally include housing, utilities, maintenance and upkeep, housekeeping and laundry services, meals, some form of transportation, and all scheduled activities.

Consider these estimated costs to get an idea of what to expect:

• Assisted living has an estimated national monthly median cost of $5,511 in 2024.3
• Adult family homes usually cost less. The average price falls between $1,500 and $4,500, but specific care needs may have an additional cost.
• CCRCs tend to cost more than stand-alone assisted living facilities. Many require a one-time entrance fee (like a down payment) and ongoing monthly fees. The monthly fees vary as residents move between care levels. The average up-front fee is $402,000, and monthly fees averaged $3,555 in 2021.4

How Seniors with a Disability Pay for Assisted Living

Most seniors pay privately for assisted living. Why? Because coverage through other benefits, such as Medicare, Medicaid, private health insurance, or the VA, is limited or nonexistent.5

Let’s take a look at different ways to pay for care:

• Medicare won’t cover room, board, or help with ADLs at an assisted living facility. It may, however, cover select on-site services such as medical care, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and skilled nursing care.
• Medicaid coverage varies by state, but states cannot use Medicaid funds to pay for room and board. Some states offer other financial assistance programs for Medicaid recipients who need help covering assisted living. Visit your state’s Medicaid website for details.
• The VA won’t pay for rent and basic services at an assisted living community, but some veterans qualify for the Veterans Aid and Attendance Pension. These monthly funds could be used to pay for assisted living. View our veterans care guide for more information.
• Long-term care insurance policies typically cover assisted living, but policies vary among providers. If you don’t already have a policy, it will be hard to get one if you’ll need assisted living soon.
• Out-of-pocket money sources may include retirement accounts, savings accounts, investments, Social Security payments, rental income, and other income. Family members might help, too.
• Selling your home is another option. It’s likely more worthwhile if you own your home outright instead of having a mortgage to pay off. That way, you’re left with a nice chunk of change toward your long-term care needs.

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Depending on your financial situation, you may qualify for funding assistance from federal, state, or local programs.

• Public housing programs through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
• Rental assistance or subsidized housing through HUD
• Housing choice voucher program (formerly Section 8)
• Local rural development for help in rural areas
• Local city or county governments or a HUD-approved housing counselor can identify any housing aid available in your area

How to Find Assisted Living for Seniors with Disabilities

Assisted living communities are available in most areas. Use our senior living directory tool to find one near you (or where you’d like to move). Just type in your ZIP code and answer a few questions, and we’ll curate a downloadable list of suggested assisted living communities.

If you don’t see anything you like, or you would prefer to search for yourself, that’s great too! Here are a few other resources to get you started:

• Call our toll-free senior helpline to talk to one of our senior care advisors about assisted living options in your area.
• Use the Eldercare Locator to find local resources for seniors.
• Contact your local rural development office for help in rural areas.
• Find supportive housing services by location through Volunteers of America, a nonprofit provider of housing and support for people with disabilities.
• Speak to your caseworker or geriatric case manager.
• Search online for the type of specialized care you need, such as “assisted living for blind seniors.”

Alternatives to Assisted Living for Seniors with Disabilities

Assisted living isn’t right for everyone, especially if you have involved family caregivers living near your current home. Let’s look at two alternatives to assisted living that may make aging in place easier and more affordable.

Using Assistive Devices to Increase Independence

Many seniors who live independently — either at home or in a retirement community — rely on assistive devices. Assistive devices can be as common as a wheelchair, ramp, or shower grab bar or as new and innovative as adaptive clothing or voice-recognition products like Amazon Alexa.

Assistive devices and modifications that can help you live more independently at home include:

• Voice-recognition products
• Door-knock signalers for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Large-print keyboards or large-display clocks for people with visual impairments
• Adaptive clothing and hands-free shoes make dressing easier
• Modified keyboards such as Lucy
• Computers that offer assistance
• Apps such as Sesame Enable that make a phone or tablet a touch-free device
• iRobot’s robot vacuums and mops, which make cleaning floors effortless
• Medical alert systems
• Stairlifts, ramps, shower grab bars, or adjustable beds

Keep the cost of these modifications and features in mind as you consider the finances of aging in place versus moving into an assisted living facility.

Using a Special Needs Trust for Home Ownership and In-Home Care

Special needs trust (SNT) ownership of a home allows home ownership or rental, managed by a trustee for their beneficiary. The trust can also pay for needed home modifications and personal caregiver services to help the beneficiary live as safely and independently as possible.67

The purpose of using an SNT is to give qualifying individuals extra financial resources without jeopardizing their government benefits. Home ownership through a special needs trust, comes with a large set of rules and responsibilities, so make sure you understand the consequences and benefits before making any decisions. Remember that hiring in-home care plus the cost of housing can exceed the bundled cost of moving into an assisted living facility.

Other Resources Concerning Housing for Seniors with Disabilities

For more information about housing options for seniors with disabilities, check out these resources:

• The National Organization on Disability works to promote the rights of citizens with disabilities.
• The Consortium for Citizens With Disabilities, a national coalition of disability organizations working to advocate for federal policy, has done extensive research on housing.
• The Technical Assistance Collaborative is a national organization that works with the disabled.
• ADAPT is a national grass-roots activist group dedicated to independent living for the disabled with a platform on housing.
• Elderly or Disabled Living is a nonprofit with a one-time financial assistance program that low-income seniors can apply for.
• Accessible Space Inc. is a nationwide organization that helps seniors and people with disabilities find housing.
• The Pass It On Center helps people with disabilities obtain assistive technology through a reuse program.