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Who Qualifies for Assisted Living Financial Assistance in Hawaii?
Date Updated: July 26, 2024
Written by:
Rachel Lustbader is a writer and editor with a background in healthcare and technology. Her work has been published on websites including HealthCare.com, BiteSizeBio.com, BetterHelp.com, Caring.com, and PayingforSeniorCare.com. She studied health science and public health at Boston University.
Both of Rachel’s grandmothers had very positive experiences in senior living communities, and Rachel saw firsthand the impact that kind, committed caregivers and community managers can have on seniors’ and their family members’ lives. With her work at Caring, Rachel hopes to help other families find communities, caregivers, and at-home products that benefit elderly loved ones and make life less stressful for family caregivers
Seniors who qualify for Hawaii Medicaid are eligible to receive financial help for the costs associated with assisted living. Additional assistance may be found through state programs created for seniors. According to the 2021 Genworth’s Cost of Care Survey, the average monthly cost of an assisted living community in Hawaii is $5,375. Supplemental programs help many seniors access this type of care.
What Financial Assistance Does Medicaid Offer?
Hawaii Medicaid will not pay the room and board expenses of an assisted living community but will provide reimbursement for some of the services offered. This includes services intended to support activities of daily living, such as bathing, toileting, grooming, dressing, eating and positioning or ambulating.
This can also include help with instrumental activities of daily living, including light housekeeping, laundry, meal preparation and shopping.
Eligible seniors may also receive reimbursement for moving expenses, skilled nursing, personal emergency response systems and accessibility adaptations.
To qualify for Hawaii Medicaid, seniors must be state residents and either be at least 65 years old or have a qualifying disability. Applicants must also fall below the income and asset limits set for the state.
Other Financial Assistance Options
Although some of these programs do not offer direct payments to seniors or their assisted living communities, they do offer services that could help with reducing the overall cost of care.
Kupuna Care offers personal care services that may take the place of paid options within assisted living programs. Participants can also take advantage of assistance with transportation, meal delivery and light cleaning.
Hawaii also offers the Community Living Program (CLP) to prevent nursing home placement. Although it’s not available in all areas of the state, CLP provides a monthly expense budget that can be used on eligible benefits and services. Some of these services, such as personal care assistance, can reduce the overall price of assisted living care.