The short answer
Ask for a written, itemized quote after the community has assessed your loved one's needs. Separate recurring rent and care charges from one-time fees, refundable deposits and outside services. Get the reassessment and rate-increase rules too. A published starting rent is not an all-in care quote.
Ask for these figures on one page
Use this as a request template, not a claim that every community charges every fee. Ask staff to mark each line included, additional, optional or not available. A blank line is an unanswered question, not a zero-dollar charge.
| Item | What to ask in writing |
|---|---|
| Apartment and occupancy | Exact room type, private/shared occupancy, second-person charge and promotion end date. |
| Personal care | Assessed care level, tasks included, frequency limits and how extra help is priced. |
| Medication help | Administration or reminder fee, pharmacy requirements and supplies billed separately. |
| Overnight and mobility help | What assistance is available at night and whether additional staffing or transfers change the rate. |
| Daily living extras | Laundry, escorts, transport, special meals, incontinence supplies and salon charges. |
| Move-in money | Application/community fee, deposit, refund conditions and when each amount is due. |
| Outside services | Which clinicians, therapies or private aides bill separately, and who arranges them. |
| Changes and absences | Notice for increases, reassessment process, hospital absence charges and move-out notice. |
Compare the first month and the ongoing month separately
Illustrative arithmetic only, not Haven pricing or a market average: suppose rent is $4,200, assessed care is $900, medication help is $200 and required supplies are $100 a month. The recurring total is $5,400. A $2,000 nonrefundable community fee would make the first month $7,400 before any deposit or other charges. A refundable deposit still requires cash upfront, but should be tracked separately from a nonrefundable expense.
Now ask each community to price one specific change: for example, more help with dressing or toileting. Record its answer as a scenario, not a prediction that your parent will need that care. A lower starting rent can become a higher total when the same services are included.
Send this quote request before a second tour
Suggested message: ‘We are comparing options for [name or relationship]. Before we pay a deposit, please send a dated quote for [room type], based on your assessment. Please identify monthly rent, care and medication charges, required extras, one-time fees, refundable deposits and services billed by outside providers. Please also include the promotion end date, reassessment policy, rate-change notice and move-out/refund terms. Which items remain provisional?’
Share detailed medical records only through the community's agreed secure process. For a first call, describe the assistance needed without emailing an entire medical history to a general sales inbox.
Do not count on Medicare to close a housing budget gap
Medicare generally does not pay for ongoing custodial long-term care. A person living in assisted living may still receive separately covered medical services; that does not make the community's rent and daily-care package a Medicare benefit. Confirm coverage with the relevant insurer instead of subtracting an assumed benefit from a quote.
Turn three quotes into a decision
Record the quote date and the staff member who supplied it in your free tour planner. Use Haven's comparison tool to review published information, then fill the gaps with the actual quotes. Published prices can be older, promotional or for a different care category.
Before choosing, ask the community's care lead—not only the sales representative—to confirm that the services quoted can actually be provided. If an answer is ‘we will work that out after move-in,’ record what remains unresolved and who will answer before you commit.
Common questions
Does assisted living include medication management?
Ask each community. A quote should distinguish reminders, administration, pharmacy services and medication costs, and identify what is included versus separately billed.
Can I compare assisted living by starting price alone?
Use it to begin a shortlist, then compare assessed care, occupancy and mandatory fees. A starting price may omit costs your loved one would incur.
Should I pay a deposit before the assessment?
Ask whether the deposit is refundable if care needs, the final price or the admission decision differ from expectations. Get the conditions in writing before deciding.
Keep reading
Sources: Medicare: long-term care coverage. Updated 2026-09-23. General information, not medical, legal, or financial advice.