Assisted Living in Wichita, KS

Assisted Living Costs in Wichita

The monthly cost for assisted living is fairly consistent between many Kansas communities. The average rates are comparable in Topeka ($5,300) and Lawrence ($5,265), and they’re only about $200 less in Manhattan, where the price is $5,100. Wichita is the lone exception, with an average assisted living cost of just $4,728. In spite of being lower than these other cities, the rate in Wichita is still over $700 higher than the national average of $4,000 and almost $200 above the state median of $4,556.

The Cost of Assisted Living in Surrounding Areas

Care Cost Comparison

Certain factors cause the price variances that exist between available senior care options in Wichita. Largely, they relate to the extent of care required and whether a senior lives at home or in a residential facility. Assisted living communities ($4,728) and nursing homes ($5,475) provide care in residential settings and include room and board. The 24-hour skilled nursing care offered in nursing homes results in a moderate $750 price increase compared to assisted living.

Adult day health services ($1,934) and in-home care services ($4,195) are notably less expensive than assisted living, but neither include room and board. With these two care options, seniors live at home and have to pay their own household operating bills and buy groceries. These expenses aren’t included in the monthly rates paid, which only cover the service hours of care provided.

Senior Care Cost Comparison Chart

Financial Assistance for Assisted Living in Wichita

Medicaid in Kansas

The Medicaid programs administered by state governments provide vital health care coverage to the most economically vulnerable residents who are often low-income families with young children, expectant mothers, the elderly and adults who are blind or disabled. These essential programs are made possible with joint funding and a regulatory framework provided by the federal government.

In Kansas, Medicaid is known as KanCare and ensures that more than 100,000 eligible blind, disabled and elderly residents receive adequate medical and long-term care. Covered services include:

• Doctor and specialist visits
• Inpatient and outpatient hospital care
• Diagnostic tests and X-rays
• Emergency treatment
• Medical transportation
• Institutional nursing home care
• Home and community-based care services

Qualifying for KanCare for Long-term Care

Wichita residents can qualify for KanCare coverage for long-term care if they’re:

• Aged 65 or older
• Aged 64 or younger and disabled or blind
• Assessed as needing the level of care normally provided in a nursing home

Residents must also meet the program’s financial guidelines that stipulate:

• No more than $2,313 in monthly income per individual
• No more than $2,000 in total countable assets per person whether single or applying with a spouse

Seniors and disabled adults eligible to receive Supplemental Security Income benefits are automatically enrolled in KanCare when they apply to the Social Security Administration and don’t need to file a separate Medicaid application.

The state requires that income from all sources be put toward an applicant’s cost of care except $62 per month that’s reserved for personal needs. A number of assets don’t count toward the limit, including one vehicle, personal belongings, burial plots, life insurance with a value up to $1,500, a primary home worth no more than $585,000 and household furnishings.

Alternate Options to Qualify for Coverage

The Kansas Medicaid program does offer two options that may let over-limit individuals qualify for coverage:

• Those with excess income may become eligible through the spend-down program. Using this method, applicants can receive six months of KanCare coverage after spending their monthly income above $495 on approved medical- and care-related expenses.
• Married seniors who are applying solely and exceed the income and asset limits may become eligible after living and resource allowances are deducted for their spouse’s living expenses. These spousal allowances are mandated by federal law and can reduce an applicant’s income by up to $3,160.50 per month and their jointly owned assets by as much as $126,420.

Wichita residents can apply for KanCare coverage online or call (800) 792-4884 to learn more or obtain help with their application.

Frail Elderly Waiver Program

KanCare provides the Frail Elderly waiver program to give residents aged 65 or older an alternative to institutional nursing home care. This program is available to Medicaid-eligible seniors who’ve been assessed as needing a nursing home level of care but able to safely live in the community with waiver-provided support. The FE program doesn’t cover the cost of room and board in an assisted living facility, but it may pay for various provided services, such as:

• Comprehensive support
• Help with activities of daily living
• Assistance with financial management
• Medication reminders
• Enhanced care 
• Wellness monitoring
• Nurse evaluations
• Assistive technologies
• Personal emergency response systems

For more information about the FE program or to apply, Wichita seniors can call the Central Plains Area Agency on Aging at (316) 660-5120.

Other Financial Assistance Programs for Assisted Living

Optional State Supplemental Payment

Seniors and disabled adults receiving SSI benefits who live in Medicaid-approved assisted living communities are eligible for an additional $62 monthly cash payment from the Kansas Optional State Supplemental program.

To qualify for these two benefits, Wichita residents must have:

• $771 or less in monthly income if single or $1,157 if married
• $2,000 or less in assets as an individual or $3,000 as a couple

To apply for SSI and OSS benefits, Wichita seniors can contact the Social Security Administration at (800) 772-1213.

Veterans Aid and Attendance Benefits

The Department of Veterans Affairs offers a top-up benefit program that can help Wichita senior veterans and surviving spouses pay for increased care costs. The Aid and Attendance program is open to those receiving a VA pension that’s not disability related who have a minimum 90-day active service record with at least one day during wartime and were honorably discharged.

Applicants must also have a yearly income of $22,577 or less and meet one of these health care criteria:

• Vision of 5/200 or less that doesn’t improve with correction
• Concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees or less
• Confined to bed because of chronic illness or disability
• Live in a nursing home due to cognitive or physical incapacity

To learn more about the A&A program or receive assistance completing and filing an application for benefits, Wichita seniors should contact the Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs at (785) 296-3976.

Assisted Living Resources in Wichita

Senior Service Organization

Senior Services of Wichita is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to helping city residents aged 55 and older enjoy independent, fulfilled lives. The organization offers a number of resources, including information and outreach services, a senior nutrition program that includes home-delivered meals and a roving pantry, in-home and caregiver support services, and a senior mentorship program.

The organization also operates four busy senior centers across the city that serve over 3,500 members. Each center hosts its own unique mix of social, recreational, cultural, educational and fitness activities. Diverse, life-enriching programs and events are planned with the goal of keeping older residents active and engaged in the community.

Senior Services of Wichita
200 S. Walnut St., Wichita, KS 67213  
(316) 267-0302

Veterans Assistance

Senior veterans can access comprehensive medical services at Wichita’s Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center, including primary, secondary and extended care services.

Staff at the Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs’ local field office are available to help area veterans and their families file applications and appeals for state and VA benefits and pensions.

Veterans can find shared bonds at either of the city’s active VFW posts.

Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center
5500 E. Kellogg Ave., Wichita, KS 67218
(316) 685-2221

Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs Office
700 SW. Jackson St., Ste. 1004, Topeka, KS 66603
(785) 296-3976

VFW Post 112
1560 S. Topeka St., Wichita, KS 67211
(316) 265-3255

Wichita Memorial VFW Post 3115
4801 W. Douglas Ave., Wichita, KS 67209
(316) 942-2281