Assisted Living in Massachusetts

The average cost of assisted living in Massachusetts is around $7,300 a month or $88,200 per year, according to A Place for Mom’s proprietary data. This is $2,600 more than the national average of $4,750. This cost reflects room and board at our partner communities. Care services and certain amenities are usually billed separately. Prices vary depending on location, services, amenities, and the level of care a community provides.

Assisted living communities in the Boston or Salem areas are more expensive than the state average, but residents can find significant savings in the Rhode Island border city of Fall River or in the historic whaling city of New Bedford. Compared with other states in New England, only Connecticut is comparable to Massachusetts in terms of the cost of assisted living. While costs in all of New England are higher than the national average, seniors can find some savings in Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont.

Seniors who are able to live independently can save around $900 in independent living in the state.

Read more:Assisted Living vs. Independent Living: What’s the Difference?

Families in Massachusetts typically combine funds from several sources to cover the cost of assisted living. Because costs and eligibility can vary widely, it’s best to plan early to understand which payment options apply to your loved one’s situation. The section below explores private pay options and public assistance programs. For a high-level overview of how to pay for assisted living, read our complete guide to paying for long-term care.

Private pay options

Private pay options are the most common way that families cover the cost of assisted living. These include pensions, retirement funds, and personal assets. Social Security retirement benefits, health savings accounts (HSAs), and some life insurance policies are other common ways that people pay for assisted living.

Read more: Does Long-Term Care Insurance Cover Assisted Living?

VA benefits

Veterans and their surviving spouses may be eligible for benefit programs from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that can help offset the costs of assisted living. Learning about and applying for these benefits can be time-consuming, so consider enlisting the help of an accredited benefits counselor.

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Veterans’ Services employs veterans services officers (VSOs) to assist with benefits applications and more. Find a local VSO to ensure your loved one receives the benefits they deserve.

Medicaid

Medicaid is a joint program of the federal and state governments designed to help people with low incomes and certain conditions and disabilities. In Massachusetts, Medicaid is called MassHealth, and while the program won’t cover room and board in assisted living, eligible residents can use it to pay for health and personal care services.

MassHealth helps eligible elderly recipients with the cost of assisted living through two programs:

• The Group Adult Foster Care Program, which covers the cost of care services but not the cost of room and board. This program is an entitlement, meaning that all eligible residents will receive support.
• The Moving Forward Plan Community Plan-Residential Supports Waiver is for seniors who need 24/7 care and are receiving it in a senior living setting. This program is not an entitlement, so space may be limited and your loved one may be put on a wait list.

If you or your loved one has questions about MassHealth, call 800-841-2900.

Medicare

Medicare is a health insurance program available to U.S. seniors 65 and older and to younger people who have certain conditions. It’s funded by the federal government and can help cover the cost of medically necessary products and services, such as medications, doctor’s visits, physical and occupational therapies, medical supplies, and durable medical equipment.^[04]

Seniors and their families can reach out to the Serving the Health Insurance Needs of Everyone (SHINE) program for counseling on the process of applying for Medicare. Trained and committed volunteers are available to provide personalized benefit information and application assistance.

In Massachusetts, the Executive Office of Aging & Independence regulates assisted living communities in the state. Communities must be licensed before they’re permitted to operate and must undergo compliance reviews on a regular basis following licensure.{[citation: 5}} Rules and regulations that govern assisted living communities are designed to ensure residents receive safe, high-quality care, and set minimum standards for:

• Resident care
• Facility operations
• Staff training

Some assisted living communities in Massachusetts are designated as special care residences. These communities support seniors who have special needs due to dementia or other cognitive impairments.

How to look up Massachusetts assisted living licenses and records

Massachusetts doesn’t make records of assisted living community inspections available online, but you can request copies of inspection reports and complaints by contacting the Executive Office of Aging and Independence at 800-243-4636 or by email at information.resources@mass.gov.

If your loved one is considering an assisted living community that’s part of a larger campus that includes a nursing home, reviewing assessment reports of the nursing home can provide helpful information about the overall organization. Use Massachusetts’ nursing home search tool to look it up.

Why do licensure and inspection reports matter to families?

State regulations — and a community’s track record with inspections and licensing — offer important insights into safety and quality of care in senior living communities.

Download the Guide to Senior Living Licensure and Inspection Reports to learn what to look for in inspection reports and what questions to ask when touring communities. This resource explains how to use state licensure and inspection information to evaluate a community’s compliance, care standards, and responsiveness to issues.