In “Minute-by-Minute” Tiered Pricing, a basic fixed fee covers the cost of housing, meals, laundry, housekeeping and activities BUT personal care is charged for in tiers determined by amount of time or number of caregivers.
The tiered pricing system is similar to the Personal Care Packages model in the sense that costs depend on the needs of each resident. However, these tiered models include a time or “points” component that defines the price of the package by the specific time spent (minutes or hours per day) as well as the number of caregivers helping the resident. Residents move through the tiers according to the policies and staff of the specific community, and therefore the price can fluctuate greatly month to month.
If you are considering a move to an assisted living community with a tiered pricing structure, be sure to ask a lot of questions about what exactly is covered within the tiers and try to make a realistic assumption about which tier your loved one should be placed in immediately upon move-in. Ask what the staff thinks may happen over the course of the first year, so that your budgeting isn’t off kilter. Also, ask what happens to your loved one when they max out the time allotted within their tier.