Consider "lifecare" or "continuing care" retirement communities. You pay an entry fee up front and then your monthly fees are established. Some of these communities don't charge additional monthly fees even if you move to assisted living or a nursing home. Some have adjustments to the monthly charge if you move to a higher level of care. The benefit is in knowing where you'll live at each stage (often on the same campus and sometimes even in the same building) and what costs you can expect to be responsible for. The most complete version of one of these CCRC's (continuing care retirement community) is a monthly fee that never changes, other than to adjust annually for a cost of living increase or some other metric.

These are things families have to plan for. I agree -- no more entitlement programs, please!

I would just like to add that if the concerned individuals are veterans. They are eligible for up to $1,644 per month, while a surviving spouse is eligible for up to $1056 per month. Couples are eligible for up to $1,949 per month.

I just want to add something about Medicaid. Medicaid  is a health program run by united states government. It is jointly funded by the state and federal governments and managed by the states. Medicaid is the largest source of funding for medical and health-related services for people with limited income in the United States.

Most people pay for independent living, assisted living, and CCRCs out of their own pockets with private funds. There are some states which accept Medicaid for assisted living, but there is currently no program on the federal level, and private funds still account for approximately 90 percent of assisted living payments.