5 Assisted Living Communities in Tracy, California

The average cost of assisted living in the city is $5,500 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 5 Assisted Living Communities in Tracy and several in surrounding areas. The Cost of Senior Care in Tracy, CA

• Assisted Living: $5,500
• Nursing Home Care: $9,125
• In-home Care: $5,720
• Adult Day Health Services: $1,993

Genworth’s 2018 Cost of Care study reviewed senior care costs through the county. The study shows the average monthly cost of assisted living in Tracy is $5,500 per month, which is $1,000 higher than the state average and $1,500 higher than the national average. Prices are similar in nearby Salinas and San Francisco ($5,500), while the prices are much lower east of Tracy in Modesto ($3,200) and Merced ($3,500). 

Throughout California, assisted living costs are highest along the central Pacific Coast in the Bay Area. Senior care costs are most affordable in smaller cities inland, such as Visalia ($3,675), Stockton ($3,500) and Bakersfield ($3,150). 

Note: Senior care cost data wasn’t available for Tracy, so data for the closest city, San Jose, was used. 

The average monthly cost of assisted living in Tracy is $5,500, which is $3,625 less than semiprivate nursing home care. Each of these services include room and board, however, nursing facilities also provide continuous health care to those with complex medical needs.  Community-based senior care starts at $1,993 per month for adult day health services delivered in a group setting on weekdays only. Hiring a homemaker for 44 hours per week costs an average of $5,720 per month, and a home health aide costs $6,006 per month. It’s important to understand these community-based care costs are in addition to day-to-day living expenses, such as home repairs, property insurance and groceries.

 

Medicaid is a federally mandated, state-administered health plan for low-income Americans and qualified immigrants. It provides basic health care coverage for primary, emergency, and long-term care services, including hospitalization and nursing facility care. 

Some states offer expanded Medicaid benefits, such as dental and vision care, prescription drug coverage, hospice care and enhanced screening and early intervention services. These benefits are often included in state-specific home and community-based waivers designed to save costs and reduce the number of Medicaid-funded nursing home placements. 

Qualifying for Medi-Cal

In California, Medicaid is known as Medi-Cal. To qualify for no-cost coverage, seniors aged 65 and older must have a low income and few financial resources. Individual applicants can earn a maximum of $1,242 per month and own up to $2,000 in countable assets, and couples can earn up to $1,682 per month and own up to $3,000 in countable assets. 

Some assets are excluded, most notably, a home in which the applicant and/or their spouse live. Unlike other states, California doesn’t limit the value of the excluded home. 

When only one spouse requires Medi-Cal coverage and the community spouse is financially dependent on the applicant’s income, the applicant can transfer up to $3,161 of their income to the community spouse to prevent spousal impoverishment. 

The community spouse is also entitled to half of the couple’s joint assets, up to a value of $126,420, in addition to the Medi-Cal exempt assets. 

Assisted Living Home and Community-Based Medi-Cal Waiver

Seniors with full-scope Medi-Cal coverage who require the level of care normally provided in a nursing facility may qualify for enrollment in the Assisted Living waiver. 

This home and community-based waiver provides fragile seniors with long-term personal care help in an assisted living setting in order to prevent nursing home placement.

Services are assigned based on medical need and may include housekeeping, skilled and intermittent nursing, personal care and adult day programming. Eligible seniors who wish to move from a nursing home into an assisted living facility may also be provided with transitional support. 

Note: ALW services are only available in participating assisted living facilities, therefore, seniors accepted into the ALW program may be placed on a waiting list. 

For more information on Medi-Cal, contact the Department of Aging and Community Services of San Joaquin County at (209) 468-1104. 

To request an ALW assessment, contact Norcal, the San Joaquin County ALW care coordinator agency at (925) 519-6100. 

Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly

Seniors aged 55 and older who are either Medi-Cal covered or both Medicare and Medi-Cal dual-enrolled and have care needs that meet the requirements for nursing home placement may qualify for the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly. This community-based managed care program is also open to participants who aren’t on Medi-Cal but have the financial resources to pay. 

PACE allows seniors who would otherwise be institutionalized to age in place in a community setting, such as assisted living, by providing wrap-around services and supports. PACE participants receive all of their Medicaid benefits through the program, and all health care providers are affiliated with PACE. 

PACE services are centralized around the barrier-free PACE day center equipped with an outpatient medical clinic, therapy rooms, recreation facilities and a cafeteria. There’s also a dedicated space for dementia care. 

Participants are provided with free door-to-door transportation weekdays to the PACE center, and in-home services, such as personal care and skilled nursing are included. 

The multi-disciplinary PACE team includes:

• Primary care physicians

• Registered nurses

• Social workers

• Physical, occupational and speech therapists

• Pharmacists

• Nutritionists

• Dentists and optometrists

• Personal care workers and homemakers

• Activation specialists

PACE enrollment is voluntary and participants are free to leave the program at any time. 

For more information on Stockton PACE, the San Joaquin County PACE program, call (209) 442-6077. 

Optional State Supplementation

Seniors aged 65 and older who reside in an assisted living facility and collect Supplemental Security Income benefits may qualify for the Optional State Supplementation program. 

The OSS is a state-sponsored program that provides eligible seniors with SSI top-up funding for use towards their room-and-board costs. If approved, individuals may receive up to $1,194.37 per month in SSI/OSS benefits, and couples may receive up to $2,388.74. 

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

Seniors qualify for discounted fares on all City of Tracy TRACER and San Joaquin Regional Transit District bus routes. Riders who are unable to use the fixed-route system due to disability can register for ADA paratransit and dial-a-ride service.  Low-income seniors who need access to a food pantry, free clothing and household goods can contact Tracy Interfaith Ministries, a volunteer-run charitable organization. Tracy Interfaith Ministries
311 W. Grant Line Rd., Tracy, CA 95376
(209) 836-5424

Outpatient VA health care, including primary, mental health and substance abuse services, are available at the Stockton VA Clinic, an affiliate of the VA Palo Alto Health Care System.

Veterans and survivors can contact San Joaquin County Veterans Services for help with VA claim preparation, submission and appeals and to book free transportation weekdays to the Livermore VAMC. 

Stockton VA Clinic
7777 South Freedom Rd., French Camp, CA 95231-9694
(209) 946-3400

San Joaquin County Veterans Services
105 South San Joaquin St., Stockton, CA 95202
(209) 468-2916

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