Assisted Living Communities in Fortuna, California

Assisted Living costs in Fortuna start around $0 per month on average, while the nationwide average cost of assisted living is $4,000 per month, according to the latest figures from Genworth’s Cost of Care Survey.

It’s important to note that assisted living rates in Fortuna and the surrounding suburbs can vary widely based on factors such as location, the level of care needed, apartment size and the types of amenities offered at each community.

While many families use their own funds or personal assets to pay for assisted living, there are plenty of additional options to cover these costs. Some additional ways to finance assisted living costs include:

• Veterans Benefits
• Life Insurance Policy
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Reverse Mortgage

For more information about different ways to finance assisted living, visit our Assisted Living in California page.

Fortuna is a small tourist destination near the headwaters of Humboldt Bay, on California's scenic redwood coast south of Eureka. Just over 12,000 people live in Fortuna, 17.5 percent of them seniors aged 65 and above. This small town has four assisted living facilities in and around its limits for seniors who need help with routine tasks, such as dressing and preparing meals. Like all residential care facilities, Fortuna's assisted living communities are licensed and regulated through the state-level California Department of Social Services' Community Care Licensing Division.

• Fortuna is close enough to the Pacific Ocean to enjoy a very stable climate year round. Summertime highs in the area average 64 degrees, while winters average overnight lows of 41 degrees. This part of California's north coast gets just over 40 inches of rain a year, which raises tree pollen in early spring that can cause issues for seniors with asthma.
  
• The cost of living in Fortuna is 9 percent above the national average. This is significantly lower than California's 69 percent average increase over the national cost of living. In some areas, costs in Fortuna are well below national rates. Healthcare, for example, costs 4 percent less in Fortuna than it does in the rest of the nation.
  
• Crime rates are 20 percent higher in Fortuna than they are in the nation at large. Almost all of this higher crime rate is in thefts and other property crimes. Fortuna still has very low rates of violent crime.
  
• The area in and around Fortuna is served by Humboldt Transit, a division of the Redwood Transit system. This service operates a single line with 28 buses a day that follow a route through the middle of town. Seniors age 62 and over qualify for discount fares with ID and a pre-loaded transit fare card, though there is no discount for cash fares. All Humboldt Transit vehicles are ADA-compliant for riders with disabilities.
  
• The Fortuna area is home to world-class medical facilities, including those specializing in brain health and dementia care such as Redwood Memorial Hospital and St. Joseph Hospital Eureka, in the event of medical emergencies or illness.
• Fortuna has an array of community resources for seniors, including Stay Put Services, a division of the Area 1 Agency on Aging, an organization that provides housekeeping and maintenance services for seniors who live alone, as well as two senior centers.