Assisted Living in Mission Viejo, CA

Assisted Living Costs in Mission Viejo

Genworth’s 2018 Cost of Care study examined average monthly senior care costs nationwide. The study shows that at $3,500 per month, the price of assisted living in Mission Viejo is below the national ($4,000) and state ($4,500) averages. Prices are $1,000 per month higher in nearby cities, such as San Diego and Los Angeles. 

Statewide, assisted living costs start at $3,150 per month in Bakersfield and go up to $5,595 in Santa Cruz. 

Note: Senior care costs weren’t available for Mission Viejo, so costs for the closest city, Riverside, were used. 

The Cost of Assisted Living in Surrounding Areas

Care Cost Comparison

The average cost of the least expensive senior care in Mission Viejo is adult day health services starting at $1,668 per month, which provides nonmedical support in a group setting. The most expensive option is semiprivate nursing home care at $7,559 per month. 

At $3,500 per month, assisted living is $1,056 less than 44 hours of weekly in-home care from a home health aide and $1,181 less than a homemaker. Given that assisted living includes daily living expenses, such as room-and-board, the total monthly costs of this type of care can be significantly lower than other senior care options. 

Senior Care Cost Comparison Chart

Financial Assistance for Assisted Living in Mission Viejo

Medicaid in California

Medicaid is the government health plan that provides about 25% of California residents with no-cost access to basic health services, such as doctor’s visits, inpatient and outpatient hospital services, X-rays and blood tests and nursing facility care. Individual states may also offer enhanced Medicaid services, such as community-based care and nursing home diversion programs through Medicaid waivers. 

In California, a Medicaid-expansion state, the program is known as Medi-Cal, and it’s administered through the Department of Health Care Services. To qualify for no-cost, long-term Medi-Cal services, seniors can earn up to $1,242 per month ($1,682 per couple) in income from pensions, alimony, wages and investments. 

Medi-Cal applicants must also have no more than $2,000 per person and $3,000 per couple (if both spouses are seeking coverage) in countable assets. If only one spouse in a couple is applying, the non-applicant can retain up to half of their joint assets, worth up to $126,420.

Some specific assets are not included in the Medi-Cal limits, such as one vehicle, a prepaid burial contract and an owner-occupied home. Notably, California’s Medicaid program doesn’t limit the assessed value of the applicants’ home in determining Medicaid eligibility. 

Share of Cost

Seniors with monthly income that exceeds Medi-Cal limits may be able to enter into a Share of Cost agreement to enroll in Medi-Cal. The SOC program is similar to the deductible on a private insurance plan. The participant must pay a predetermined amount towards approved care costs each month. Once that amount has been spent, Medi-Cal coverage is in effect for the remainder of the month. In many cases, the SOC amount may be higher than what a senior may pay to purchase private health care coverage. 

Note: SOC Medi-Cal participants cannot participate in Medicaid waivers. 

To learn more about Medi-Cal enrollment and the SOC program, contact the Orange County Social Services Agency at (800) 281-9799. 

Assisted Living Waiver

Seniors who qualify for full-scope, no-cost Medi-Cal coverage and meet the criteria for Medicaid-funded nursing home placement may be eligible for additional community-based supports through the Assisted Living Waiver. 

This Medicaid home and community waiver lets seniors age in place in an assisted living setting by funding enhanced medical and nonmedical services. Seniors who already live in a Medicaid-funded nursing home are eligible for this waiver, and if accepted, they can be provided with transitional support to move into an assisted living facility. 

ALW services are assigned based on medical need, and may include:

• Assistance with activities of daily living, such as bathing, eating and grooming
• A personal emergency response device
• Skilled and intermittent nursing
• Medication management and administration
• Medical supplies and durable medical equipment
• Rehabilitation therapy
• Transportation to medical appointments

Note: Seniors accepted into the ALW program must live at a participating ALW facility in Orange County to receive waiver services. 

For more information on the ALW, Costa Mesa seniors can contact Access TLC Home Health Care, the Orange County Assisted Living Waiver Care Coordinator Agency, at (818) 551-1900. 

Other Financial Assistance Programs for Assisted Living

Optional State Supplementation

Low-income seniors on Supplemental Security Income benefits who reside in an assisted living facility because they cannot live independently may qualify for additional cash benefits through the Optional State Supplementation program. 

The OSS provides eligible seniors with a combined monthly SSI/OSS benefit of $1,194.37 a month, while senior couples may receive up to $2,388.74 to help pay their room-and-board portion of assisted living costs. 

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

Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly

Seniors aged 55 and older who qualify for Medi-Cal coverage or Medicare and Medi-Cal (dual-enrolled) and need the level of care normally provided in a nursing home may qualify for the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly. Seniors excluded from Medi-Cal because of excess income or assets may enroll in PACE on a private-pay basis. 

PACE is a multidisciplinary, community-based model of senior care that prevents institutionalization by providing seniors with community-based services and supports. PACE provides all mandatory Medicaid benefits through a network of PACE doctors, nurses, therapists and caregivers. 

PACE services, such as adult day health programs, primary physician care, communal meals and rehabilitation therapy, are centralized at the PACE day health center. Door-to-door transportation to and from the center is included along with in-home supports, such as personal care, minor home modifications to improve accessibility, an emergency response system and medical supplies.  

For more information contact CalOptima, the local PACE provider at (714) 468-1100. 

Assisted Living Resources in Mission Viejo

Senior Recreation and Support Services

Mission Viejo Recreation and Community Services offers a wide variety of free social groups, fitness classes and clubs for seniors aged 50 and older at the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center. 

The Center offers a daily low-cost lunch for seniors aged 60 and older, hosts a monthly USDA commodity food distribution site and holds weekly blood pressure screening clinics. 

Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center
24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo, CA 92692
(949) 470-3062

Transportation and Aid Agencies

Seniors aged 60 and older can register for the Senior Dial-A-Taxi Program that provides around-the-clock, on-demand taxi service for a flat rate of $5 anywhere in Mission Veijo and Laguna Hills.

The nearby Laguna Food Pantry provides free food to seniors in need, and seniors may visit the pantry and select their own items weekly. 

Laguna Food Pantry
20652 Laguna Canyon Rd., Laguna Beach, CA 92651
(949) 497-7121

Veterans Services

Outpatient VA health care, including primary care and radiology, is available at the nearby Laguna Hills VA Clinic, and comprehensive hospital services are offered at the VA Long Beach Healthcare System. 

Free assistance with VA benefit claims and appeals is available to veterans and survivors at the Orange County Veterans Service Office. 

Orange County Veterans Service Office
1300 S. Grand Ave., Santa Ana, CA 92705
(714) 480-6555

Laguna Hills VA Clinic
23719 Moulton Pkwy., Laguna Hills, CA 92653-5422
(949) 587-3700