Assisted Living Communities in Athens, Texas

Assisted Living costs in Athens start around $3,398 per month on average, while the nationwide average cost of assisted living is $4,000 per month, according to the latest figures from Genworth’s Cost of Care Survey.

It’s important to note that assisted living rates in Athens and the surrounding suburbs can vary widely based on factors such as location, the level of care needed, apartment size and the types of amenities offered at each community.

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 Texas page.

Athens, TX, claims to be the place where the American hamburger was invented, and to this day there's an annual hamburger festival in town that residents of all ages attend. Seniors from the town's five assisted living communities can be seen there with family and friends, before returning to what the Texas Department of Health and Human Services classifies as a Type A long-term care facility. Residents at Type A facilities get room and board for their monthly payment, but otherwise they live with as much independence as possible. Staff at Athens' assisted living communities provide emergency response to seniors, as needed, as well as help with various activities of daily living (ADLs) as bathing, dressing and taking some medications.

• Athens' weather gets hot in the summer, with highs averaging 94 degrees Fahrenheit in August. Dust gets kicked up in the summer, which can make outdoor activity difficult for seniors with asthma on a few days a year. Winters are very mild here, and the coolest days of December and January can be dry enough to cause discomfort for seniors with COPD or asthma. Winter lows average 35 degrees overnight at the coldest.
  
  
• Athens' cost of living is comfortably lower than the national average. Seniors who pay for their own groceries and health care pay around 7 percent less in Athens than elsewhere in the country.
  
  
• There's no income tax in Texas, though a sales tax of between 6.25 and 8.25 percent takes a piece out of aging citizens' shopping budgets. Seniors who drive also pay a 20 cent gas tax on every gallon.
  
  
• Crime is slightly higher in Athens than in the rest of the country. Most of the difference is in non-violent property crimes, however, while the violent crimes seniors need to be concerned about are relatively rare.                        
• Go Bus provides reliable, on-demand public transportation for residents of rural East Texas. Seniors who live in local assisted living communities often rely on Go Bus for help getting to medical office visits and for making personal trips or visiting friends and family.                                                      
• The Athens area is home to world-class medical facilities, including UT Health Athens, in the event of medical emergencies or illness.