This is one of the most common fee structures in Assisted Living. A facility will have a series of levels, usually three or four, with each level priced separately. As care needs for a resident increase or decrease the level is adjusted to reflect their new situation. Facilities with level of care fee structures may or may not have a published base rate for people who need no personal care. The base rate most often covers rent, meals, weekly housekeeping and activities.

PROS

• Your payment for services more closely reflects the services you receive.
• Your payment for services remains relatively consistent from month to month. It is unusual, for people to change levels more than once or twice during their stay at the facility.

CONS

• Residents at the low end of a service level may be subsidizing, to a small extent, those at the higher end of the level.
• It can be difficult for the consumer to learn just how a facility assigns a given level to a resident making it difficult to track what you are paying for.
• A facility that offers a base rate often is doing so for marketing purposes. By publishing a low base rate, when in fact few or no tenants actually pay that rate, consumers are often mislead about the true cost of living in the facility.