The 5 Best Assisted Living Facilities in Gardner, MA for 2024

The Worcester County community of Gardner sits in north-central Massachusetts and has a large senior community that makes up nearly a fifth of its 21,000 residents. There are 8 assisted living facilities in the Gardner region, including 2 more facilities in the city proper. In this city, assisted living facilities charge $5,685 per month for care, exceeding the national norm of $4,500 but well below Massachusetts’ average of $6,500.

In Gardner, assisted living facilities have an average quality rating of 4.25 out of 5 stars stars based on 276 reviews reviews.

The Massachusetts Health and Social Services Department oversees assisted living communities in Gardner and the rest of the state and enforces a set of requirements and limitations related to the scope of services facilities can provide. It also sets minimum standards for nutrition and medication services, staff training and building features.

• In Gardner, the overall crime rate comes in at 11 incidents per 1,000 residents, which is lower than 45% of U.S. communities and 27% of communities across Massachusetts. More importantly, when compared only to similarly sized communities, the city’s crime rate is well below the average. There are approximately two violent incidents and nine incidents of property-related crime per 1,000 people, but assisted living facilities promote residents’ safety through measures such as alarm systems and high-security locks.
• Massachusetts exempts Social Security benefits and public pension income from taxation but taxes other forms of retirement income at a standard rate of 5%. Additionally, the state has one of the highest estate taxes in the nation with an exclusion of $1 million, which may impact financial planning for some seniors considering assisted living in Gardner.
• The life expectancy in the Gardner region is 79.1 years, which is about a year less than Massachusetts’ norm of 80.2 but higher than the U.S. average of 78.5, and the rate of deaths in those aged 75 and under is 320 per 100,000 people compared to the nationwide norm of 360. Additionally, there's a primary care provider per 1,000 residents compared to 1:1,380 nationally, and about 58% of adults regularly get the flu vaccine. These factors contribute to Worcester County’s overall health ranking of 10 out of 14 surveyed counties in Massachusetts.
• Living costs in Gardner run about 20.7% higher than the national norm, with seniors paying about 29% more for health care, 10% more for utility bills and 4% more for housing. Fortunately, food costs come in about 30% lower than the national norm, and programs such as the Moving Forward Program help qualified seniors afford local assisted living expenses.  
• Summers in Gardner are warm, running from late May through mid-September and bringing daytime temperatures of 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Winters are chilly with average daytime temperatures falling between 31 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit and lasting from early December through early March. This appeals to prospective assisted living residents who enjoy experiencing distinct seasons.

Assisted living communities in Gardner charge $5,685 monthly for housing and personalized care services.

In Gardner, seniors pay $5,685 for assisted living. Although the local rate runs high compared to the national norm of $4,500, it’s lower than the state rate of $6,500. Local rates are moderate compared to care costs in Boston, where residents pay $6,819 for care, and Barnstable Town, where monthly fees are considerably higher than the local rate at $7,000. On the other hand, seniors in Springfield typically pay lower rates of $5,048 for care, and in Pittsfield, monthly care costs are thousands of dollars less than in Gardner at $2,084.

Assisted living facilities in the Gardner region charge $5,685 monthly for assisted living. This is a little lower than the $5,720 in-home care agencies charge for private nonmedical services at home, and it offers significant monthly savings over the $5,911 home health care agencies charge for skilled nursing services. Similarly, assisted living rates are considerably lower than nursing home costs, which come in at $11,863 for 24-hour medical supervision and support in an institutional setting, although adult day health care facilities charge lower monthly rates of $1,842 for daytime personal care and skilled nursing services in a community setting.

While many families use their own funds or personal assets to pay for assisted living, there are plenty of additional options to cover these costs. Some additional ways to finance assisted living costs include:

• Veterans Benefits
• Life Insurance Policy
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Reverse Mortgage

For more information about different ways to finance assisted living, visit our Assisted Living in Massachusetts page.