120 Assisted Living Communities in San Mateo County, California

The average cost of assisted living in the county is $5,500 a month. This guide is a starting point covering the cost of assisted living care in the county, as well as financing options to pay for it. You’ll find in-depth information on 120 Assisted Living Communities in San Mateo County and several in surrounding areas. The Cost of Senior Care in San Mateo County, CA

• Assisted Living: $5,500
• Nursing Home Care: $9,148
• In-home Care: $5,625
• Adult Day Health Services: $1,733

According to Genworth’s 2018 Cost of Care study, monthly assisted living prices in San Mateo County are higher than both the national average of $4,000 and the state average of $4,500. Prices are about the same in nearby areas such as San Jose ($5,500), Santa Rosa ($5,500), Santa Cruz ($5,595) and Napa ($5,425). In Vallejo, also nearby, prices are lower ($4,350), while to the east of San Mateo County, assisted living costs are significantly lower in Stockton ($3,500) and Modesto ($3,200).

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

The wide range of prices for senior care in San Mateo County is due to the differences in the type of care. The exceptionally high cost of living in the area also influences senior care costs.  As with all other areas, nursing home care is the most expensive senior care option because it involves 24/7 skilled nursing in a specialized, licensed facility. Assisted living costs are similar to both a home health aide and a homemaker, although in-home services do not include room-and-board expenses while residential care services do. 

Established in 1965 by the federal government to ensure low-income Americans had access to basic health care nationwide, Medicaid provides emergency, acute and long-term health care for more than 75 million children, adults and seniors. Medicaid currently covers about one in four California residents using matching funds provided by the state and federal government. 

Known as Medi-Cal, California Medicaid is free for seniors 65 and older who earn less than $1,242 per month and own less than $2,000 worth of countable assets. Couples applying together can earn no more than $1,682 per month and own no more than $3,000 in countable assets. 

Under Medicaid rules, countable assets include all cash, stocks, bonds and real estate except for the applicants’ principal residence. Applicants are also exempt from counting one vehicle, a non-revocable burial trust and personal belongings such as clothing and household furnishings.

Medi-Cal applicants are subject to a 30-month look-back period during which time any assets that were gifted, transferred or sold will be audited to ensure applicants do not dispose of assets that could be used to fund their care. If a disqualifying property transfer is discovered, the senior may be penalized with a period of Medi-Cal ineligibility based on both the value of the transferred asset and the current monthly cost for private nursing home care. 

Applicants who have incomes that exceed Medi-Cal limits may qualify for coverage through a Share of Cost agreement. Under SoC, seniors must spend a designated amount of their monthly income toward their medical expenses before Medi-Cal coverage kicks in. Note that in many cases, the SoC amount is higher than what private health insurance would cost, and SoC enrollees are excluded from Medicaid waiver programs. SoC cannot be used to spend down excess assets. 

Assisted Living Waiver

The Medi-Cal Assisted Living waiver is a Medicaid home and community-based services waiver designed to reduce nursing home placement rates among Medicaid-eligible seniors. It provides enhanced services in an assisted living environment such as housekeeping and laundry, medication management, transportation and intermittent skilled nursing care. Ongoing case management is also included. 

To qualify for the ALW, seniors must: 

• Be approved for free, full-scope Medi-Cal coverage with no SoC
• Want to reside in an assisted living facility rather than a nursing home
• Have care needs that meet the criteria for nursing home placement through Medi-Cal
• Be willing to live in a facility that participates in the ALW program in San Mateo County

Note that seniors who are currently living in a nursing home who meet the ALW criteria are also eligible, and nursing home transition support is included. 

For more information, contact the Care Coordinator Agency in San Mateo County, the Institute on Aging, at (650) 424-1411. 

Optional State Supplementation

Low-income seniors who receive Social Security Income and need to live in an assisted living facility due to age-related deterioration may qualify for additional monthly cash benefits through the Optional State Supplementation program. 

This state-sponsored program provides eligible seniors with a maximum monthly SSI payment of $1,194.37 when applying as an individual, and up to $2,388.74 when applying with a spouse. This money is for the room-and-board portion of assisted living costs. 

For more information about the California OSS program, contact the County of San Mateo Human Services at (650) 301-8440. 

VA Aid and Attendance Benefits and Housebound Allowance

VA Aid and Attendance and Housebound are two VA pension top-up programs for veterans and their survivors who qualify for regular VA pension benefits and are either housebound or severely limited as a result of a disability. 

To qualify for Housebound benefits, applicants must have a permanent disability that leaves them largely restricted to their primary place of residence, which may be an assisted living facility. Note that the disability does not need to be service-related. 

If approved for Housebound benefits, applicants may receive combined annual pension payments of up to: 

• $16,540 for veterans without dependents

• $20,731 for veterans with one dependent

• $11,095 for survivors without dependents

• $13,893 for survivors with one dependent

To qualify for Aid and Attendance, applicants must either live in a nursing home, be legally blind, be bedridden due to a chronic illness or need help from another person to perform one or more activities of daily living such as bathing, eating, dressing or managing a prosthetic device. 

If approved for Aid and Attendance, applicants may receive combined annual pension payments of up to: 

• $22,577 for veterans without dependents

• $26,766 for veterans with one dependent

• $14,509 for survivors without dependents

• $17,309 for survivors with one dependent

Note that Aid and Attendance Allowance and Housebound Benefits cannot be combined with a VA disability pension; however, current recipients of VA disability compensation can apply for these two programs. If approved, applicants can opt to accept the benefits program that provides the most money. 

Applicants should also note that the Aid and Attendance allowance and Housebound Benefits cannot be collected concurrently. 

For more information and application assistance, contact the San Mateo County Veterans Service Office at (650) 802-6598. 

Veterans and survivors can contact the San Mateo County Veterans Service Office for assistance with Aid and Attendance and Housebound applications, information on VA benefits and help with obtaining service records. VA health care services are available at the San Bruno VA Outpatient Clinic, an affiliate of the San Francisco VA Health Care System. 

San Mateo County Veterans Service Office
550 Quarry Road, San Carlos, CA 94070
(650) 802-6598

San Bruno VA Clinic
1001 Sneath Lane, Suite 300, San Bruno, CA 94066-2349
(650) 615-6000

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