Assisted Living in Oroville, CA

Assisted Living Costs in Oroville

Genworth’s 2018 Cost of Care survey states that at $4,000, the average monthly cost of assisted living in Oroville is equal to the national average and $500 less expensive than California’s state median. Redding ($3,900) and Yuba City ($3,679) have slightly lower assisted living costs, and those in areas such as Napa ($5,425) and Santa Rosa ($5,500) are significantly higher. 

Note: Senior care cost data wasn’t available for Oroville, so data for the closest city, Chico, was used.

Cost of Assisted Living Comparison Chart

• Oroville/Chico area: $4,000
• National average: $4,000
• State average: $4,500
• Redding: $3,900
• Yuba City: $3,679
• Sacramento area: $4,473
• Napa: $5,425
• Santa Rosa: $5,500
• Vallejo area: $4,350

Care Cost Comparison

The cost of senior care varies greatly depending on the type of care needed and whether an individual requires full-time or part-time services. In Oroville, monthly assisted living costs are significantly lower than those of nursing home care and almost double the price of adult day health services, where care is only provided during daytime hours. At $4,433 per month, care provided in a private residence, through homemaker services or home health aides, is also much more costly than assisted living, especially when factoring in the additional expenses of maintaining a home.

Cost of Homemaker/Home Health Aide Comparison Chart

• Assisted living: $4,000
• Homemaker services: $4,433
• Home health aide: $4,433
• Adult day health: $2,134
• Nursing home care (semiprivate room): $8,456

Financial Assistance for Assisted Living in Oroville

Medicaid in California

Medicaid, the federal program providing health care services to low-income Americans, is provided to California residents through Medi-Cal. Participants are offered essential health benefits, including outpatient services, hospitalization, mental health services, chronic disease management, physical therapy and more. 

Seniors may qualify for Medi-Cal if they:

• Have no or low-income (Individuals earning under $16,395 per year and married couples earning under $22,108)
• Have low assets (excluding the applicant’s furnishings, home, personal items and one vehicle), with a maximum of $2,000 for an individual or $3,000 for a married couple
• Are blind, disabled or over age 65
• Live in a nursing home or intermediate care facility
• Receive Supplemental Security Income
• Have refugee status for a limited amount of time

Oroville residents can apply for Medi-Cal online or call the Butte County Office at (877) 410-8803.

Two state waivers are available to seniors qualified or enrolled in Medi-Cal, which may provide assistance with health care and assisted living support.

Assisted Living Waiver

The Assisted Living Waiver provides eligible individuals with assisted living services, care coordination and transition services to move from a nursing home to a residential care facility or subsidized public housing. While living in one of these facilities, seniors and people with disabilities have access to  around-the-clock staff, skilled nursing services, meals, recreational activities, housekeeping and transportation services. 

To enroll in the ALW, Medi-Cal members must work with a Care Coordination Agency to receive an assessment of care needs. ALW services are not provided in every California county, so in order to participate, Oroville residents must be willing to move to an assisted living facility in one of the serviced counties, including Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Sonoma.

Multipurpose Senior Services Program

A second waiver option provided to eligible Californians through Medi-Cal is the Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP). Like the ALW, this program is provided through the federal Home and Community Based Medicaid Waiver. The goal of MSSP is to use community services to help delay or prevent entry into a nursing home facility. Medi-Cal members (with no share of cost) over age 65 may be eligible if they’re certified as requiring nursing home level care.

Program services may include care management through a team of social workers and nurses, counseling, personal care assistance, transportation services, respite for caregivers and home modifications. 

In Butte County, the MSSP is run through an organization called Passages, which can be reached by calling (800) 822-0109. 

Other Financial Assistance Programs for Assisted Living

Veterans Aid and Attendance Benefits

The federal Veterans Aid and Attendance (A&A) program provides additional monthly payments to senior veterans or surviving spouses over age 65 who already receive a VA pension and meet certain income and eligibility criteria. To receive these additional payments, individuals must earn below $22,577 annually, and married couples, or individuals with one or more dependents, must earn below $26,765. Singles and married couples must also keep their total assets, including annual income but excluding their home and vehicles, below the net worth limit of $126,000.

Applicants must also meet one of the following criteria:

• Legally blind
• Bedridden
• Unable to perform regular activities of daily living, such as dressing, bathing and eating without caregiver assistance
• A nursing home patient due to a physical or mental disability

To apply, Oroville residents should contact their regional benefit office, call (530) 891-2759 or write to the St. Paul VA Regional Office with a report detailing the applicant’s level of mobility, daily activities, abilities and impairments. 

Supplemental Security Income

California also provides certain low-income seniors and people with disabilities with monthly financial assistance through the federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. Participants must be age 65 or older, blind or disabled and have low-income and few assets.

To qualify, applicants must meet the following income and asset requirements:

• Earn less than $771 (individual) or $1,157 (married couple) per month
• Own less than $2,000 (individual) or $3,000 (married couple) in assets, excluding the applicant’s car, home and burial plot

Senior participants in the program can receive financial benefit payments of up to $1,194.37 for individuals and $2,388.74 for married couples. Personal care services, protective services and an extra allowance for assistance dogs may also be provided.

Interested seniors can call (800) 772-1213 or visit the Social Security Administration’s website to apply.

Elderlife Bridge Loans

Elderlife Financial Bridge Loans may be an option for Oroville seniors interested in receiving a short-term line of credit to help with assisted living costs. These loans typically last up to12 months and can be used to pay for assisted living or moving costs associated with transitioning into a residential facility. Elderlife allows up to six cosigners, which may increase acceptance chances as multiple credit scores are factored into the application. Because the loan term is limited, it’s important that potential borrowers have a long-term care plan in place before applying.

Application turnaround time is usually quick, and seniors may apply online or call (888) 228-4500 for more information.

Assisted Living Resources in Oroville

Area Agency on Aging

The Butte County Area Agency on Aging is called Passages. It provides Oroville seniors and caregivers with access to free or low-cost resources, including an ombudsman program, free counseling, care management services, legal services and information and assistance resources.

Passages
25 Main St., Chico, CA 95929
(800) 822-0109

Senior and Community Centers 

The Oroville Senior Center and the CARD Community Center provide community settings to enhance seniors’ qualify of life through programs, such as social events, classes, games, transportation services, access to nutritionists and legal aid.

Feather River Senior Center
1335 Myers St., Oroville, CA 95965
(530) 533-8370

CARD Community Center
545 Vallombrosa Ave., Chico, CA 95926
(530) 895-4711

Veterans Resources

Several offices are available to help Oroville veterans and their families access benefits and information about resources, including benefits counseling, claim assistance, medical and educational referrals, loans and insurance applications.

Veterans Resource Station
Chico Branch Library, 1108 Sherman Ave., Chico, CA 95926
(530) 891-2726

Butte County Veterans Service Office
2445 Carmichael Dr., Chico, CA 95928
(530) 891-2759

Chico Vet Center
250 Cohasset Rd., Suite 40, Chico, CA 95926
(530) 899-6300