Kalamazoo is home to more than 76,000 people, 8,000 of whom are seniors aged 65 and over. Seniors in this southwestern Michigan city can enjoy the still-untouched wilderness around town that’s crisscrossed by miles of walking paths lined by trees and surrounded by nearly a dozen wide-open golf courses. Two nationally recognized health systems, Henry Ford and Beaumont, serve the medical needs of residents, and Kalamazoo’s nursing homes provide excellent care, though their cost is somewhat higher than the Michigan state average. A semiprivate room in a nursing care home in the Kalamazoo area averages $10,159 a month, according to the 2020 Genworth Cost of Care Survey.

Nursing homes in Kalamazoo serve area seniors with a high level of supervision that’s only available in a residential senior care facility. Features include medication administration, health monitoring and 24-hour nursing care. The generally high quality of care nursing homes provide comes at a cost. Some may find that assisted living or home health care meet their needs at a lower monthly cost.

This guide provides details about care options in Michigan and lists free and low-cost resources that help seniors in Kalamazoo get by.

Directory of Nursing Homes in Kalamazoo, MI

The Fountains at Bronson Place

1700 Bronson Way, Kalamazoo, MI, 49009

The Fountains at Bronson Place is an assisted living and continuing care community west of Kalamazoo, Michigan, near Westwood. Residents can choose between studio, one and two-bedroom apartments. Fami … (read more)
The Fountains at Bronson Place is an assisted living and continuing care community west of Kalamazoo, Michigan, near Westwood. Residents can choose between studio, one and two-bedroom apartments. Fami … (read more)

Friendship Village

1400 N Drake Rd, Kalamazoo, MI, 49009

Friendship Village offers residents a warm welcome and an accommodating stay at all levels of care. Nestled amid the cozy woodlands of Kalamazoo, Michigan, this facility actively promotes physical and … (read more)
Friendship Village offers residents a warm welcome and an accommodating stay at all levels of care. Nestled amid the cozy woodlands of Kalamazoo, Michigan, this facility actively promotes physical and … (read more)

The Springs at the Fountains

1451 BRONSON WAY, Kalamazoo, MI, 49009

My dad stayed in The Springs at the Fountains for five days. I have mixed feelings about them. They care about him, but they don’t seem to have a way to handle if he has an outburst. He tried to hit a … (read more)
My dad stayed in The Springs at the Fountains for five days. I have mixed feelings about them. They care about him, but they don’t seem to have a way to handle if he has an outburst. He tried to hit a … (read more)

Heartland Health Care Center-kalamazoo

3625 W MICHIGAN AVE, Kalamazoo, MI, 49006

My mom stayed at Heartland Health Care Center. It’s very nice and the staff was very nice as well. They did everything we expected, so we were satisfied. She went to rehab — which she needed — and i … (read more)
My mom stayed at Heartland Health Care Center. It’s very nice and the staff was very nice as well. They did everything we expected, so we were satisfied. She went to rehab — which she needed — and i … (read more)

MediLodge of Westwood

2575 N. Drake Road, Kalamazoo, MI, 49007

Medilodge of Westwood is very kind and did a lot of work with my mom’s PT and OT. They have worked with her even on the weekends for therapy. They were very kind when she would have a setback and get … (read more)
Medilodge of Westwood is very kind and did a lot of work with my mom’s PT and OT. They have worked with her even on the weekends for therapy. They were very kind when she would have a setback and get … (read more)

Alamo Nursing Home

8290 W C AVE, Kalamazoo, MI, 49009

This nursing home is good, but could do better. A majority of the staff is polite, though some act careless (for example,walking past a resident that needed help). The general smell of the nursing h … (read more)
This nursing home is good, but could do better. A majority of the staff is polite, though some act careless (for example,walking past a resident that needed help). The general smell of the nursing h … (read more)

Tendercare Kalamazoo

1701 S 11TH ST, Kalamazoo, MI, 49009

My grandma is at MediLodge of Kalamazoo for rehab. There’s not much to look at. It kind of looks like a normal facility, but the staff is really nice. They actually seemed like they care. I was never … (read more)
My grandma is at MediLodge of Kalamazoo for rehab. There’s not much to look at. It kind of looks like a normal facility, but the staff is really nice. They actually seemed like they care. I was never … (read more)

Harold and Grace Upjohn Commun

2400 PORTAGE ST, Kalamazoo, MI, 49001


Borgess Place

3057 Gull Rd, Kalamazoo, MI, 49048


Tendercare Portage

7855 CURRIER DR, Portage, MI, 49002


Nursing Home Costs in Kalamazoo, MI

Semiprivate rooms in Kalamazoo cost seniors an average of $10,195 a month. Private rooms cost more, at $10,965.

The Cost of Nursing Home Care in Nearby Cities

Nursing home care is more expensive in Kalamazoo than in many other places in both Michigan and the United States generally. Semiprivate rooms in the city area average $10,195 a month for care, while in the rest of Michigan the average is $8,973. The national average cost is $7,756. Even the lowest costs in Michigan are above national averages, such as Battle Creek, where a semiprivate room averages $7,908 a month. Lansing and Detroit are in the upper $8,000s, while Flint and Ann Arbor are in the mid-$9,000s. 

$10195

Kalamazoo

$8973

Michigan

$7756

United States

$8973

Lansing

$9353

Flint

$9429

Ann Arbor

$8821

Detroit

$7908

Battle Creek

The Cost of Other Types of Senior Care

Nursing home care is not always the most appropriate option for aging citizens. Seniors who need less assistance than a nursing home provides may get by at lower costs with a different level of care. Assisted living offers less close supervision, but in Kalamazoo, it averages just $3,950 a month. Likewise, home care and home health care cost an average of $4,481 and $4,576 a month, respectively. Against this, semiprivate rooms in Kalamazoo’s nursing homes cost an average of $10,195 a month, while more private rooms cost $10,965.

$4481

Home care

$4576

Home health care

$3950

Assisted living

$10195

Nursing home (semiprivate room)

$10965

Nursing home (private room)

Financial Assistance for Nursing Home Care in Kalamazoo, MI

Many seniors and their families use some form of financial assistance to help them pay for nursing care. The main options available are Medicare, Medicaid, and veterans benefits. These programs can be complicated, especially when it comes to benefit terms. Below, we give a brief overview of how these programs may be used towards paying for skilled nursing care.

  • Medicare: Medicare will typically cover all skilled nursing costs for the first 20 days of one’s stay in a nursing home and a portion of the costs until day 100. After 100 days in a skilled nursing facility, Medicare will not cover any part of the cost of the stay. While this is adequate when short-term care is needed, those in need of long-term care will need to either pay out-of-pocket or use another source of financial assistance.
  • Medicaid: Medicaid covers most of the costs of living in a skilled nursing facility for those who qualify. Care, room, and board are covered with no time limit, but residents may be charged for extras like specially prepared food or cosmetic services. Medicaid eligibility standards are strict and complex, so not all seniors are eligible for Medicaid benefits.
  • Veterans Benefits: Veterans receiving a VA pension may also be eligible for the Aid and Attendance benefit administered by the VA. Aid and Attendance is a monthly allowance that beneficiaries may use to pay for their long-term care, including skilled nursing care.

If these options aren’t available to you, check if your loved one has long-term care insurance or contact your Area Agency on Aging to ask about any local financial assistance programs for seniors.

Free Resources for Seniors in Kalamazoo, MI

The resources below help thousands of Kalamazoo-area seniors live as independently as possible, either in their own homes or in residential care communities. Some of the services they offer can help seniors remain safely in their homes,  while others are for seniors making the transition into nursing home care.

Resource

Contact 

Service

(800) 711-2113

Senior Services of Southwest Michigan is a regional senior support office that offers multiple services for area seniors. Services provided at no cost include telephone reassurance, nursing facility transition support, assisted living waiver applications and referrals, medical alert systems for the home and a pet food bank. Case manager support is also available through the office, which can help seniors find and apply for all of the benefits they are eligible for.

(269) 373-5173


The Kalamazoo Agency on Aging Area IIIa serves local seniors with a diverse array of free services. Benefits offered include benefits and bereavement counseling, home-delivered meals, some local transportation services and referrals to government and nonprofit agencies seniors are eligible to apply for benefits from.

(269) 382-0515

Kalamazoo Meals on Wheels volunteer drivers deliver meals to seniors in their homes once a week. Deliveries are available on shorter notice for emergencies, and pet meals are also provided. The Kalamazoo County Meals on Wheels program also offers free instruction on nutrition and fitness for seniors aged 60 and over. Home repair and disability-related home improvement services are also available through the program.

(888) 783-8190


Lakeshore Legal Aid offers telephone and in-person consultations for seniors with licensed attorneys and other legal professionals free from cost. Through the society, seniors can get advice and assistance with legal forms, estate planning, care issues and common legal matters relating to medical and residential concerns.

(269) 383-1122


The Shepherd's Center uses local volunteers to help Kalamazoo seniors with personal and medically necessary transportation at no cost. The center also offers free handyman services that include home mobility upgrades and limited repair services for seniors' homes.