18 Assisted Living Communities in Cathedral City, California

The average cost of assisted living in the city is $3,500 a month. This guide is a starting point covering the cost of assisted living care in the city, as well as financing options to pay for it. You’ll find in-depth information on 18 Assisted Living Communities in Cathedral City and several in surrounding areas. The Cost of Senior Care in Cathedral City, CA

• Assisted Living: $3,500
• Nursing Home Care: $7,559
• In-home Care: $4,481
• Adult Day Health Services: $1,668

Genworth’s 2018 Cost of Care study researched senior care costs in cities throughout the country. The study shows that the average monthly cost of assisted living in Cathedral City is $3,500, which is $500 below the national and $1000 below the state averages. To the west, costs are notably higher in Los Angeles ($4,500) and Oxnard ($4,575) as well as to the south in San Diego ($4,500). 

Overall, assisted living in California is more expensive than many other states. Statewide, prices start at $3,200 (Modesto) and go up to $5,595 (Santa Cruz). 

Note: Senior care cost data wasn’t available for Cathedral City, so data for the closest city, Riverside, was used. 

Semiprivate nursing home care in Cathedral City costs $7,559 per month, which is more than twice the cost of assisted living. Although both services include room-and-board, the difference in price is based on the fact that nursing facilities provide around-the-clock medical care and are staffed by licensed medical professionals.  In-home care options, such as homemaker or home health aid, are also more expensive than assisted living, and the prices don’t include meals, accommodations or variable costs, such as home repairs. 

 

About 25% of California residents have access to basic health services through Medicaid, such as inpatient and outpatient hospital care, primary physician services, transportation to medical services and long-term care in a nursing facility. Some states also offer optional benefits through state-specific waivers and programs, including speech and physical therapy, prescription drugs, prosthetics and vision and dental care. 

This federally mandated, government-funded health plan is available to individuals who have a low income and few countable assets. In California, a Medicaid-expansion state, the program is called Medi-Cal and administered through the Department of Health Care Services.

Qualifying for Medi-Cal

Seniors aged 65 and older who meet the following criteria may be eligible for free long-term Medi-Cal coverage, including access to special home and community-based waiver services, requirements include: 

• A monthly income (including pension and alimony payments) up to $1,242 per month, or
• A combined monthly income of up to $1,682 when applying for Medi-Cal with a spouse, and
• $2,000 or less in countable assets, such as cash and investments, or
• $3,000 or less in combined countable assets when applying for Medi-Cal with a spouse

Some assets are exempt, including: 

• One personal vehicle
• Furniture and household goods
• Clothing
• A non-revocable, prepaid burial contract
• Most life insurance policies worth $1,500 or less
• A home in which the applicant and/or their spouse lives, regardless of the assessed value

If only one spouse (known as the institutional spouse) needs long-term Medi-Cal benefits, special income and asset rules are in place to protect the non-applicant, called the community spouse, from impoverishment. 

The community spouse can keep up to 50%, a maximum value of $126,420,  worth of the couple’s joint assets, and this amount may be increased through a court order. If the non-applicant is financially dependent on the institutional spouse, up to $3,160.50 per month can be paid to the community spouse by the applicant. 

Medi-Cal Share of Cost

Seniors who are ineligible for Medi-Cal due to excess income may qualify for coverage on a Share of Cost basis if they have high, ongoing medical expenses. 

Also sometimes referred to as a Medicaid spend-down program, SOC provides participants with Medicaid benefits each month once they have spent a predetermined amount on approved medical expenses. Medicaid SOC enrollees aren’t eligible for Medicaid home and community-based waivers. 

To learn more about Medi-Cal enrollment and the SOC program, contact the County of Riverside Department of Social Services (Desert Hot Springs Family Resource Center) at (760) 288-3313 or the Medi-Cal telephone service center at (800) 541-5555. 

Assisted Living Home and Community-Based Waiver

Seniors who qualify for full-scope, no-cost Medi-Cal coverage, meet the criteria for nursing facility care and would prefer to reside in and assisted living facility may be eligible for the Assisted Living Waiver. Seniors who are already in a Medicaid-funded nursing facility may also be eligible, and if accepted, they’re provided with transitional assistance. 

This Medicaid nursing home diversion program funds community-based services and supports that allow seniors to age in place in a noninstitutional setting. The ALW doesn’t cover the room-and-board portion of assisted living costs; it pays for care that’s not normally offered in an assisted living facility. 

In order to participate in the ALW seniors must be able to have their care needs met through the available services, such as: 

• Housekeeping and laundry 
• Intermittent, skilled nursing 
• Adult day health 
• Transportation
• Assistance with activities of daily living
• Case management

Seniors accepted into the ALW must reside in a participating facility, and waiting lists may be in effect. 

For more information on the ALW, contact Archangel Home Health Inc., the ALW care coordinator agency for Riverside County at (562) 861-7047. 

Optional State Supplementation

Seniors eligible for Supplemental Security Income benefits can apply for additional state-sponsored funds through the Optional State Supplementation program. 

The OSS helps seniors aged 65 or older pay for the room-and-board portion of their assisted living costs by topping up the monthly SSI payment. Single seniors may qualify for up to $1,194.37 a month in combined SSI/OSS benefits, and senior couples may receive up to $2,388.74. 

For more information, contact the Social Security Administration at (800) 772-1213. 

VA Aid and Attendance Housebound

Veterans and survivors who are eligible for the regular VA pension and have either a permanent disability or chronic illness not related to service may qualify for a higher pension amount through the VA Aid and Attendance Benefits and Housebound Allowance. These two benefit programs provide additional cash that can be used towards the cost of assisted living care. 

Under Aid and Attendance, veterans without dependents may be eligible for a maximum annual pension of $22,577, and veterans with one dependent may receive up to $26,766. Survivors without dependents can qualify for a maximum annual pension of $14,509 or $17,309 with one dependent.

To qualify for Aid and Attendance, applicants must: 

• Have a severe visual impairment that limits corrected vision to 5/200 or lower, or

• Be bedridden due to a chronic illness, or

• Be a full-time resident of a nursing facility, or

• Need daily assistance from a caregiver to get dressed, use the toilet, bathe, manage a prosthetic device, eat, and/or move around their home

For Housebound Allowance, veterans and survivors must have a permanent disability that limits their ability to leave their home. 

Under Housebound, veterans without dependents may receive a maximum annual pension of $16,540, and those with dependents may receive up to $20,731. Eligible survivors may receive up to $11,095 without dependents or $13,893 with one dependent. 

Note: Successful applicants can only collect benefits from either Aid and Attendance or Housebound. 

For more information and assistance with the application process, contact a veterans services officer at the Riverside County Department of Veterans’ Services by calling (951) 955-3060. 

The County of Riverside Veterans’ Services provides veterans, dependents and survivors with up-to-date information on state and federal benefits, assistance with VA claims and help with VA medical services. 

Outpatient VA primary care services are available at the nearby Palm Desert VA Clinic, and comprehensive diagnostic, surgical and hospital services are offered at the VA Loma Linda Healthcare System. 

County of Riverside Veterans’ Services
4360 Orange St., Riverside, CA 92591
(951) 955-3060

Palm Desert VA Clinic
41-990 Cook St., Building F, Suite 1004, Palm Desert, CA 92211-6100
(760) 341-5570

Senior Homes has an extensive directory of senior living options, with care and living providers across the United States.