3 Assisted Living Communities in Kittitas County, Washington

The average cost of assisted living in the county is $4,500 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 3 Assisted Living Communities in Kittitas County and several in surrounding areas. The Cost of Senior Care in Kittitas County, WA

• Assisted Living: $4,500
• Nursing Home Care: $8,834
• In-home Care: $4,767
• Adult Day Health Services: $867

The average monthly cost of assisted living in Kittitas County is $4,500, which is $500 above the national average and $635 below the state average. Prices are lower north of Kittitas in Wenatchee ($4,125) and more expensive southeast in Walla Walla ($4,950) and Kennewick ($5,500). 

Aside from Spokane ($4,000), prices throughout Washington State are higher than the national average ($4,000). Costs are highest in the Seattle area ($5,750) and lowest in smaller cities. such as Bellingham ($4,250) and Olympia ($4,250). 

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

The cost of senior care in Kittitas County ranges from $867 per month for adult day health services up to $8,834 per month for semiprivate nursing home care. The significant price range is due to differences in the type of care that comes with each service, location and number of care hours per week.  Assisted living, which includes semiprivate or private accommodations, meals, and amenities costs an average of $4,500 per month. Hiring in-home help from a home health aide or homemaker service is more expensive at $4,767 per month based on 44 hours of weekly service. 

Medicaid is the government-funded health plan that provides needy people with access to primary physician care, essential inpatient and outpatient hospital services, X-rays and long-term care. Each state administers its own Medicaid plan, and in Washington, Medicaid is known as Apple Health.

To qualify for Apple Health coverage, seniors aged 65 and older must have a low income and few financial assets. Seniors eligible to receive federal  Supplemental Security Income benefits automatically qualify for Apple Health for the Aged, Blind and Disabled. To qualify for long-term Apple Health coverage, all other seniors must: 

 

 

• Earn no more than $2,313 per month from all sources, including wages, pensions and investments, or
• Earn no more than $4,626 when applying to Apple Health with a spouse, and
• Own no more than $2,000 in assets, or
• Own no more than $3,000 in joint assets when applying with a spouse

 

Asset Limits

Some specific assets are excluded from the asset limits, including one personal vehicle, clothing and furniture and an irrevocable burial trust. 

A home owned by the applicant and/or their spouse is also exempt as long as it’s worth no more than $585,000 and occupied by the applicant and/or their spouse. 

Spousal Income and Asset Exemptions

When only one spouse needs Apple Health services, special rules apply to ensure the community spouse has sufficient funds to live on. The income of the community spouse is disregarded, and they’re not expected to pay for the care of the applicant. 

Under the Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance clause, the applicant can transfer up to $3,160.50 per month to the community spouse to cover shelter costs. This transferred amount is then deducted from the income claimed on the Apple Health application. 

The community spouse can also keep all of the exempt assets, such as the couple’s home, one vehicle and household effects. They’re also entitled to up to half of the couple’s joint assets, with a maximum value of $126,420. If the total value of the couple’s joint assets is $55,547 or less, the community spouse can retain all of those assets. 

For more information on Apple Health, contact the Washington Healthplanfinder at (855) 923-4633. 

Community First Choice

The Community First Choice waiver is a nursing home diversion program designed to allow Apple Health-enrolled seniors remain in a noninstitutional setting, such as home or assisted living, when they’re in need of a nursing home level of care. CFC provides funding for services, such as personal and attendant care, personal emergency response systems and assistive technology. 

Participants have the option to self-direct their care by hiring and managing their own care workers who are paid at the usual Medicaid hourly rate. These care workers may include a spouse or other family members.

Community Options Program Entry System 

Seniors with Apple Health coverage who need significant help with two activities of daily living or some help with three ADLs may qualify for services and supports through the Community Option Program Entry System (COPES).

COPES allows fragile seniors to age-in-place in a noninstitutional community setting, such as an assisted living facility, by providing many of the services offered in a nursing home. These services are assigned based on the care needs of each senior and may include case management, skilled nursing care, mobility devices, adult day health programming and home-delivered meals. 

Seniors can participate in the CFC and COPES program concurrently. 

To learn more about COPES and the CFC program, contact Community Living Connections: Southeast Washington Aging and Long-Term Care at (509) 925-8765. 

 

 

Elderlife Financial Assisted Living Bridge Loan

Seniors planning a move into assisted living may qualify for Elderlife Financial’s assisted living bridge loan. This short-term (12 month) open loan is designed to give eligible seniors access to the cash they need to finance their move into an assisted living community. 

To qualify, seniors must have a strong credit rating. Up to six people can be listed on the loan application in order to improve the overall credit score, and there’s no cost to apply. 

In most cases applicants receive a response from the lender within 24 hours. Once approved, seniors can use funds from the loan to pay care costs as needed, and monthly payments are interest only. The loan can be paid off in full at any time without penalty. 

For more information, contact Elderlife Financial Services at (888) 228-4500. 

Veterans Aid and Attendance Benefits and Housebound Allowance

Veterans and survivors who are eligible for the regular VA pension and have a chronic illness or disability may qualify for a higher pension amount under the VA Aid and Attendance Benefits and Housebound Allowance. These two enhanced monthly pension programs provide cash that can be used to pay for assisted living costs. 

To qualify for Housebound, applicants must: 

 

 

• Have one disability that’s rated as 100% by the VA, which permanently restricts the applicant to their home 
• Have one disability rated at 100% and one or more additional disabilities rated at 60% or higher




• For Aid and Attendance, applicants must:




• Be bedridden except when participating in prescribed medical treatments
• Have corrected vision tested at 5/200 or worse, or a visual field of 5 degrees or less
• Be a permanent nursing home resident due to physical and/or mental incapacity
• Need assistance with activities of daily living




• Applicants may only collect benefits from one of these two programs. 
  
  For help with the application process, contact Supportive Services for Veterans Families at (844) 831-4673. 

 

 

Outpatient VA health services are available at the nearby Yakima VA Clinic, while comprehensive hospital and specialty services are offered at the Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial VA Medical Center. 

Supportive Services for Veteran Families help vets and survivors access VA benefits, such as Aid and Attendance, Housebound and burial benefits. 

Veterans can also join the local American Legion Post and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post, which offer weekly communal meals, card games and information on VA benefits. 

Yakima VA Clinic
717 Fruitvale Blvd., Yakima, WA 98902-1465
(509) 966-0199

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