Real north-metro numbers, taken from the starting prices communities publish in our directory — not national averages, and not a range someone made up to make a point.
Care needed
Area
6 hrs/day
1 hr — check-ins6 hrs — most of the day12 hrs — near round-the-clock
An assumption, not a figure we hold — agencies don’t publish rates and Georgia doesn’t collect them. Put in the quote you were given.
Assisted living
$4,300/mo
median · the north metro · 25 of 295 publish a price
Range $2,970–$5,720. Includes housing, meals, care staff and activities. Ask what triggers a higher care level — that is where the bill moves.
In-home care · 6 hrs/day
$6,019/mo
at $33/hr, 42 hrs a week
Plus the household’s own costs — mortgage or rent, food, utilities and upkeep all stay on top of this.
The honest note: in-home care passes the assisted living median at about 4 and a half hours a day. Below that, staying home is the cheaper option; above it, it is not. At 6 hours a day it costs $1,719 more a month than moving. Staying home is worth real money to many families. There is no wrong answer here, only an informed one.
Where the money can come from
VA Aid & Attendance
A monthly benefit for qualifying veterans and surviving spouses. Amounts are set annually — check the current rate at va.gov rather than trusting any directory's figure, including ours.
Georgia Medicaid waivers (CCSP / SOURCE)
Limited slots and a real waitlist, but worth joining early. They cover services, not room and board.
Long-term-care insurance
Check for a daily benefit amount and an elimination period. Many policies cover personal care homes as well as larger communities.
The house
A sale, rental income, or a bridge loan while it sells. This is how most families in the metro actually fund the first year.