Serravalle is paid a referral fee by the community chosen to call home, ensuring that the clients themselves do not incur any additional costs.

While some assisted living communities have all-inclusive pricing structures, most do not. Costs are often broken down into four categories:

• Room and board is essentially the apartment’s rent. It covers the cost of the suite itself, utilities, meals, light housekeeping, maintenance, laundry, and the like. Cable TV and telephone lines may be at an additional charge; each community is different.
• Care costs refer to the price of the physical assistance a senior living resident is receiving. Some communities offer “a-la-carte” care pricing, assigning a dollar value to services like help getting dressed. Others categorize support options into “levels” of care. For instance, someone who receives assistance using the bathroom and getting dressed in the morning may be a level one of care. A resident who is unable to leave their bed and requires help in all areas, on the other hand, could be a level four, which carries a different cost. 
• As its name suggests, medication management involves the administration of one’s medicine. It’s done by a nurse (RN or LPN) and/or a medication technician according to the times and dosages prescribed. In senior living, this service is typically all-encompassing; even over-the-counter medication is administered to those residents who are on a community’s medication program. The burden of reordering medicines when they’re running low, communicating with physicians for new prescriptions, and picking up what’s been ordered is alleviated from the resident and their loved ones – it’s all handled by the community’s nursing team. Prices vary but are often categorized into levels depending both on the amount of medications per day and frequency of administration. 
• Ancillary charges are for things like the beauty salon or barber, cable TV (in those instances when it’s not included in one’s room and board), and restaurant outings. In other words, they’re the more fun stuff!

At the time of move-in, residents are typically expected to pay one month’s rent (to include room and board, care, and medication costs). Some communities charge a move-in fee, which varies in price, as well as a security deposit (to be returned upon move-out). 

Senior livings often operate on a “pre-bill” system. In other words, invoices are generated and mailed mid-month for the following month; an April 15th invoice would display anticipated charges for May 1-31, to be paid by May 1, for example.

Assisted/senior living communities are often likened to docked cruise ships with a care support team. They’re intended to be very home-like, with most residents in their own apartments (featuring kitchenettes and private bathrooms) with their own furniture. Activities run throughout the day and there are frequent outings to restaurants, shops, and the like. Meals are served in a restaurant-style dining room with different menu specials every day. Residents can receive as much or as little help as they need (to a certain degree); some are relatively independent, whereas others who have aged in place require more physical assistance. There are of course nurses and caregivers, but it’s a very warm, homey environment.

Nursing homes, or long-term care facilities, look and feel a bit more clinical, as they are for residents in a greater physically compromised state. Although many assisted living communities today can accommodate a higher level of care, there are certain things they are not equipped to do that nursing homes can, like administer IV medications or assist with feeding tubes. Nursing homes often also have a short-term subacute rehab section where people come for therapy following some incident like a fall or fracture. In general, they have more of a hospital feel than a home-like one, and most of the time feature rooms for two or more people. There are no kitchenettes and you don’t bring your own furniture.

Yes, so long as an individual qualifies both financially and clinically, and assuming they apply and are approved, their stay in assisted living will be covered by Medicaid. That being said, not all communities accept Medicaid as a form of payment, and those that do typically have what’s called a “spend-down period”. In other words, residents must pay privately for a number of years before they will be eligible to remain in the community once accepted onto the program. Medicare, on the other hand, does not cover the cost of assisted living.

No. While we would be happy to assist with the transition to any community, we will not recommend those that we have not personally vetted and/or do not trust to provide the best possible service for you or your loved one. It is important to us to align ourselves with those communities that meet the highest standards of care, professionalism, dignity, safety, and love. 

To compare an advisor with a diverse background (sales, social work, etc.) to one who is an Executive Director is to compare apples and oranges. No one can speak better to exactly how senior living communities operate, what to expect, and what you’re entitled to than someone who has successfully run them.

In addition to unmatched experience, we pride ourselves in the ability to connect with prospective senior living residents and their loved ones in a meaningful, empathetic, and productive way. We advocate on their behalf as though they were members of our own family, always with their best interests at heart. Dignity, love, safety, and transparency are at the forefront of everything we do.

Absolutely! For-fee services include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Clinical advocacy: If you’re already in a senior living community but could use another set of eyes and ears, or if you’re unhappy and would like some extra support and oversight, I am happy to help. Sometimes, issues can be resolved in as little as one or two advocacy meetings with community team members. For those who do not have loved ones nearby, I can be your dedicated advocate, ensuring your needs are being met and preferences being honored.
• Senior living transition support: If you’ve already chosen your community but need assistance packing, moving, and settling in, I am happy to help to do so. I can connect you with resources (like professional movers for larger items and furniture) and coordinate & oversee the entire move-in process.

Serravalle is a neighborhood in the Northern Italian town of Vittorio Veneto. It’s very special to Christina, as it is one of the places she began her career working with the elderly. The word itself also translates to “to strengthen and defend”, actions that are vital in Christina’s pursuit to advocate for and improve the quality of life of the seniors she serves.