In an All-Inclusive Fee System, there is one total monthly fee for housing, meals, activities, housekeeping, laundry and transportation AND personal care assistance with dressing, bathing and other activities of daily living.
The amount of personal care per day that is included within the fee is usually outlined in the Residency Agreement – it may be 1 to 2 hours a day. Before you move into an Assisted Living community you should have an assessment done and a personal care plan developed that covers all the needs of the resident. With all-inclusive fees, charges for additional care should be rare and limited.
Even with Assisted Living communities that offer all-inclusive care pricing, very often medication management and incontinence help are not included. Not every resident needs these services; including them in the basic fee would result in some residents paying for a service they don’t need. Some other services that can cost extra in a community offering all-inclusive care pricing is transportation, with or without a staff escort, to medical appointments as well as personal laundry service.
Although all-inclusive is a simple fee structure, under this system a resident who is very independent but enjoys the community’s social and dining services will pay the same monthly fee as a resident who requires daily assistance with bathing, dressing and reminders and escorts to programs and activities.
Most families would prefer a community that structures their care packages and fees based on the individual needs of each resident. Be prepared to ask exactly what services and amenities are actually included.