ASSISTED-LIVING COSTS

Assisted living may be the answerif you have a relative who wants toremain independent but may needvarying degrees of help with everydaychores. Most assisted-livingfacilities offer a private room, mealsin a dining room, social activities,and 24-hour supervision. The costof such care averages close to$26,000 a year nationwide, but canbe much higher or lower, dependingon your location. In New York City,for example, assisted living runs anaverage of just under $3700 a month,while down the road in Philadelphia,the cost averages a little over $1900.Orlando, Fla, has an average monthlycost of $1560, while Seattle, Wash,is close to the national average at$2189.