Nursing Home Communities in Oxford, Mississippi

Located in the northeast of Mississippi, Oxford prides itself on being a great place to retire. In fact, it’s designated as a Certified...

partly due to the city’s quality health care options and warm weather. Oxford also has a low cost of living, which is reflected in the cost of senior care. The Genworth 2020 Cost of Care Survey shows that a semiprivate nursing home room costs just $7,300, compared to the national average of $7,756. As almost 12% of the city’s 28,000 residents are aged 65 and over, Oxford and Lafayette County continue to develop resources to help seniors as they age.

Nursing homes provide services for people with complex medical conditions that require a high level of monitoring, supervision and care. Nurses and nursing aides are generally available 24 hours a day and many homes also provide additional health care services such as physical therapy. This level of care means that nursing homes are more costly than other types of senior care. Older adults who don’t need these services may find assisted living or home care a better option.

This guide has detailed information on the cost of senior care in Oxford, as well as resources available to help residents as they age.

READ MORE

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.