For older adults who can benefit from receiving personal assistive services and medical supervision, assisted living can be a great option for individuals and their families. In the state of Missouri, you may also find that assisted living homes are distinguished as level II residential care facilities, whereas personal care homes and other similar living arrangements are considered level I. In order to find the best care option near you, it can help to review the specific regulations and features, as well as taking a tour of a community.
Currently, there are approximately 172 assisted senior living communities operating in Missouri.
| City | Monthly Minimum | Monthly Maximum | Monthly Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | $1,700 | $5,100 | $2,275 |
| Jefferson City | $1,563 | $5,100 | $2,275 |
| Saint Joseph | $1,400 | $4,050 | $2,325 |
| Saint Louis | $1,829 | $4,050 | $2,910 |
| Springfield | $1,650 | $3,750 | $2,250 |
The average cost of assisted living in Missouri is $2,525 per month. Compared to the rest of the United States, Missouri is the second cheapest state for long-term care costs. Within the state, median long-term care costs vary depending on the area and population. Major metropolis areas such as St. Louis tend to have higher median costs.
For more information about assisted living costs in Missouri, check out Genworth’s 2015 Cost of Care Survey.
Located in the heart of America, Missouri offers an eclectic experience filled with outdoor and indoor activities. An enormous urban park, every type of activity can be found at Forest Park. Home to major attractions such as, the Saint Louis Zoo, Turtle Park, the Forest Park Golf Course, and the Saint Louis Science Center, Forest Park includes breezy walking trails featuring the park’s water features and splendid lakes.
For those who enjoy the unique outdoor activities Missouri has to offer, the Duck rides provide the perfect outdoor tour. A military vehicle specially designed to transition between land and water, the Duck ride glides through scenic views of the Ozarks, and floats on Table Rock Lake. For those looking for a distinctive tour, the Anheuser-Busch Brewery offers public tours of the nationally recognized domestic brewery company. The tour includes the first brew house, the packaging facility, and samples of the finished products.
For culture seekers and art lovers alike, Missouri is abounding with interactive and individual museums. Sail through the iconic history and voyage of the Titanic at the Titanic Museum. Recreated with over 400 artifacts extracted from the submerged ship, the Titanic museum allows visitors to walk the hallways and glide down the grand staircase to truly experience the Titanic at its prime. For the art lovers, the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art and the City Museum are interactive art and history museums. With a mixture of art history and contemporary displays, these museums bring culture to life!
Missouri has both Midwest and Southern cultural elements and is said to the gateway between the east and west of the United States. The state is equal parts urban and rural. The cities like St. Louis and Kansas City are filled with high-energy, young, and friendly people.
Like most of the continental U.S., Missouri experiences all four distinct seasons with the greatest variation of weather between the summer and winter months. During the summer months, July and August bring the hottest days to Missouri with the average temperatures climbing into the high 80 and low 90-degree range. As winter settles upon Missouri in December, cold fronts bring temperatures hovering around freezing for the majority of the season. Depending on the location, Missouri will receive between 10-20 inches of snow and ice annually. Although neither the snow nor the cold temperatures last long throughout Missouri's winter season, it is common for Missouri to experience long periods of mild winter temperatures ranging from 40–50 degrees.
Assisted Living homes are regulated by a state-to-state basis. Every state has a publicly accessible legal document outlining the regulations, licensing, operation and other rules for assisted living as well as personal care homes and residential care homes. The complete regulations for assisted living homes within Missouri can be found via the supervising state department website, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services is also responsible for public records concerning inspections, violations, citations and the like on individual homes operating within the state. To obtain these records, visit “Show Me Long Term Care” page in the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services website.
When looking for a new place to live, it is always important to consider the safety of the community you are in. Missouri has crime rates slightly higher than the national average, so it will be important to explore different areas. If you are not sure where to start your search, look at some the safest communities in Missouri:
| Location | Violent Crimes Per 1,000 Residents | Property Crimes Per 1,000 Residents |
|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 1.51 | 4.52 |
| Tipton | 0.00 | 6.56 |
| Bonne Terre | 0.99 | 5.64 |
| Portageville | 0.32 | 6.37 |
(Source: safewise.com)
For those looking for financial assistance, Missouri’s Medicaid, MO HealthNet, offers the Supplemental Nursing Care Program. This program offers cash benefits to elderly residents to assist with costs associated with residential care communities. The Supplemental Nursing Care funding can be provided to homes, which are and are not Medicaid certified.
Alternate payment options are available. Families can apply for an assisted living family loan. This provides temporary or long-term financial assistance when paying for assisted senior care. The program allows multiple people to contribute to payment.
When you enter a Missouri assisted living community, you don’t have to give up the rights guaranteed to you as a citizen or resident of the United States. The resident also retains the right to personal possessions, autonomy over personal finances, bodily autonomy, and power of attorney. The resident has a right to be informed of the process to file a complaint of unsatisfactory living situations, abuse, neglect and the like. A complete list of resident rights as guaranteed by the state of Missouri is available.
Missouri assisted living homes are required to provide appropriate health services that are ordered by an attending physician, as well as keep all medical information confidential, accurate, and complete. Medical records shall be readily accessible upon request and should be kept for a period no less than 5 years from death or discharge date.
Residents in Missouri assisted living centers have access to their medical records and can request a copy of all or a portion of their medical records. They can also request a copy of some or all of the information, and it is to be provided at a cost not to exceed the community standard.
