Assisted living can be a great choice for seniors who need more help than they can get living on their own. Some assisted living communities offer basic room and care services and are structured a lot like senior apartment complexes with caregivers available to check in on residents and assist with ADLs. Luxury assisted living takes the concept further, adding a host of amenities and resort-style features to make seniors as comfortable as possible. Cost depends on location, amenities, programs and services, but the average cost of assisted living in the U.S. is $4,300, according to Genworth’s Cost of Care Survey. 

What Comes With Basic Assisted Living?

Nearly all assisted living communities offer the same basic services and amenities as a baseline of care. Seniors who live in these facilities can expect a safe, comfortable room or apartment to live in. Apartments are generally set up with an emergency call system to summon staff, who are usually trained caregivers. Caregivers on staff can help residents with ADLs such as personal care, meal preparation and routine chores. Basic assisted living facilities may also include community amenities, such as gardens, a swimming pool, walking paths, TV room and group outings.

What Makes Luxury Assisted Living Different?

While there isn’t a strict line that divides luxury assisted living from its less luxurious counterparts, communities that market themselves as luxury assisted living or resort-style senior communities usually have more amenities. It’s not unusual, for instance, for a luxury assisted living facility to offer valet parking and concierge service like a resort hotel. Room service, cable TV and other extras are often included in the monthly room fee.

A luxury assisted living community may have all of the same features of a less luxury-oriented facility, plus several extras and the additional staff to operate them. Luxury community amenities often include:

  • Chef-prepared meals in a restaurant-style dining hall
  • Spa and salon services
  • Fitness centers with modern gym equipment
  • A community theater

In addition to the physical amenities they maintain, luxury assisted living communities are also likely to offer higher-level services for their residents. Examples of these include:

  • Complimentary housekeeping and turn-down service
  • Complimentary laundry service
  • Enrichment classes and directed community activities
  • Organized community trips to local attractions or nearby casinos

How Much Does Luxury Assisted Living Cost?

Estimating the cost of luxury assisted living can be difficult due to the lack of a clear boundary between assisted living types. As a rule, seniors pay a higher monthly rate for living in luxury assisted living facilities than in their more basic counterparts. The national median monthly cost for assisted living is $4,300; this figure takes in the cost of assisted living facilities at every level and in every state. You can expect to pay more in some areas, such as San Francisco ($6,800 a month), and less in other areas, such as Miami ($3,500). For any given area, facilities that market themselves as luxury or resort-style are likely to charge more than the local average for all assisted living communities combined.