When you think about how senior citizens who need living assistance get the care that they require, nursing homes may come to mind.

But it is important to understand that nursing homes are very expensive. It is not uncommon for people to spend multiple years receiving care toward the end of their lives. Given the current state of nursing home costs this could result in hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenses.

Medicare is not going to pay for long-term care. Medicaid can fill the gap in many instances, but you have to plan ahead carefully to qualify for the program because there are upper resource limits. With planning, you can retain the maximum amount of property and perhaps pass along some of your assets to others without suffering any penalties.

Though some people simply need the type of care that only nursing homes can provide, others need living assistance but they don’t really need 24/7 medically-oriented assistance. If you are in this situation, you may want to consider a residential care home.

Many of these homes are small in scope, and they are often operated by licensed individuals within their own homes. You are given non-medical custodial care as you live your life as normally as possible.

In some cases, remaining in your home is a viable alternative. Living assistance can be provided by paid in-home caregivers, and the residence could be renovated with additions such as grab bars, motion sensor faucets, step lifts, and other types of improvements.