New Hampshire Retirement Communities - Information

New Hampshire Retirement Communities - General Information and Provider Listings for your location and care needs. New LifeStyles Online: The complete guide to senior housing, assisted living, nursing homes, senior care, senior product and service options. Listing all state licensed senior housing and care providers and more nationwide.

Cost overview: Rental fees for independent living environments, known by many names including congregate housing, senior retirement housing, senior apartments, or retirement living, are generally paid with one's private funds and can vary widely. They range from under $500 to as much as several thousand dollars per month, depending on location and amenities available. Some apartment buildings may be subsidized by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Monthly rent if HUD subsidized may be well below $500 per month.

• Low Income Housing: If an independent living community is too expensive, low-income senior housing may be available in your area. The website of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) can help you locate local HUD offices that can supply you with a list of low-income senior apartments in your area. Please be aware that waiting lists may be lengthy for such housing as it is in very high demand in most places. The cost is typically 30% of one's income.



• Helping you stay at home: If one is considering a move to a senior apartment or retirement center due to social concerns (lack of social stimulation/isolation and wants to be around others) or because meals are difficult to shop for or prepare, he/she may be able to stay at home and have some of these needs met there. For example, meals on wheels can deliver meals to one's home; a local senior centers may provide activities and classes, opportunities to meet new people and socialize, volunteer opportunities, and a noon meal; and chore services if eligible may provide assistance with daily tasks at home. To learn more about these services and others that benefit seniors in every community, contact your local Senior Information and Assistance office. You will need the zip code of the area in which you live to locate the nearest office. When you call, ask if there are services available in the area such as meals on wheels, senior centers and chore services.Medicare does not cover the cost of rent in an Independent Living Community.



• Staying in the apartment may not be possible: Individuals who require some or total assistance using the bathroom regularly, walking, transferring themselves, and who require daily medication administration and/or injections may find it extremely difficult to remain in an independent setting without a great deal of help from home care professionals. Care in one's apartment or condominium can be very expensive and may not be able to be provided in an independent living setting. Ask the manager of the community if such level of private care is allowed in the residence.



• Assistance in your apartment: The apartment or retirement community may allow you to receive assisted living services and assistance with day-to-day tasks in your own apartment. These services are provided either through private in-home care companies or through your local area agency on aging - for seniors that meet financial requirements and have demonstrated needs. Be sure to find out from the manager of the property whether assistance and care in the room is allowed.
  
  1. Private companies can offer a range of services that include bathing, preparing meals, shopping, light housework, assistance with paying bills, or just offering companionship if it is wanted. An average hourly rate for an in-home caregiver through a private firm or company is $10 - $15 per hour.
  
  2. Nurses, through a home health care agency, that visit the home to provide medications or change dressings on a wound, cost upwards of $80 or more per hour.
  
  3. Your local Senior Information and Assistance office or Area Agency on Aging will be able to provide information about the following types of services that are available to enable individuals to remain at home safely and independently: Meals on Wheels, Legal assistance for the elderly, Transportation services, Social work or case management, Adult Day Care services, Senior Center services and locations, and Chore services such as assistance with help in the apartment, grocery shopping, and meal preparation.
  
  Some services are available to only those who are low income. To learn more about these services and whether you can obtain them in your local community, contact your local Senior Information and Assistance office . You will need the zip code of the area in which you live to locate the nearest office. When you call, ask if there are services available in the area that can help keep someone living at home independently and safely (such as transportation services).



• Is any community assistance available if needed: If the community is a part of a larger campus-like environment that offers assisted living services, light assistance with daily activities, reminders to take medications, and daily check-in calls may be available to ensure one's safety and comfort. Ask if these services are available.