Ways to Pay for Assisted Living in Roseville

Quick answer: In Roseville and the rest of Placer County, most families pay for assisted living privately, from income and savings, often helped by long-term care insurance or VA Aid & Attendance. Medicare doesn’t pay, and Medi-Cal’s Assisted Living Waiver isn’t offered in Placer County. Care homes in the area typically cost $4,000 to $15,000 a month.

Roseville families often ask the same thing in the first five minutes: “Is there any help paying for this?” The honest answer for Placer County is that the bill usually falls on the family’s own money, with a few important helpers. Knowing that early saves weeks of chasing programs that don’t apply here.

The short version

• Placer County is not one of the 15 counties where Medi-Cal’s Assisted Living Waiver operates.
• Most Roseville families pay privately: Social Security, pensions, savings.
• Long-term care insurance and VA Aid & Attendance can cover part of the bill.
• Choosing the right type of home and room can change the monthly cost a lot.

Why is Roseville different from Sacramento?

California’s Medi-Cal Assisted Living Waiver helps pay for care services in participating homes, but only in 15 counties. Sacramento County is one. Placer County is not (DHCS).

So a low-income senior in Sacramento may have a (slow, waitlisted) Medi-Cal path into assisted living, while the same senior in Roseville, Rocklin, Granite Bay, Lincoln or Auburn does not, unless they’re willing to live in a participating home in a waiver county.

What does assisted living cost around Roseville?

Licensed care homes in the Roseville and greater Sacramento area typically cost $4,000 to $15,000 a month. A few homes charge less, but a price under $4,000 a month is rare. For a statewide comparison, CareScout’s 2025 survey puts California’s median for assisted living (residential care) at $7,000 a month (CareScout 2025 state data tables).

These are planning ranges, not quotes. Each home sets its own price.

The main ways Roseville families pay

• Social Security and pensions. How it helps: Steady monthly income toward the bill. What to know: Usually covers only part of the cost.
• Savings and investments. How it helps: Covers the monthly gap. What to know: Work out how many months they last.
• Long-term care insurance. How it helps: Pays a benefit for care under the policy's terms. What to know: Call the insurer early; many policies have a waiting period.
• VA Aid & Attendance. How it helps: Adds money to a VA pension for qualifying wartime veterans and surviving spouses. What to know: Net worth limit of $163,699 through November 30, 2026 (VA)
• Family contributions. How it helps: Siblings sharing the monthly gap. What to know: Put the plan in writing so everyone knows their part.
• Medicare. How it helps: Short-term rehab after a qualifying hospital stay, hospice. What to know: Doesn't pay for assisted living (Medicare.gov)
• Standard Medi-Cal. How it helps: Long-term skilled nursing for people who qualify. What to know: Doesn't pay for assisted living.

How can we lower the monthly bill?

The biggest savings often come from choosing the right setting, not from a program:

• Board and care vs. a large community. Small board and care homes often quote one all-in rate. Larger communities often charge base rent plus care levels, which can climb as needs grow.
• Shared vs. private room. A shared room usually costs less.
• The move-in fee. Ask whether the community or move-in fee can be reduced or waived.
• Yearly increases. Ask what the last few increases were, so your budget holds up.
• The all-in price. Always ask for the full monthly price at your parent’s care level, including medication help.

A simple Roseville budget plan

• Write down your parent’s monthly income
• List savings and investments that can go toward care
• Find any long-term care insurance policy and call the insurer
• Check whether your parent or their late spouse served during wartime
• Get the all-in monthly price from each home you’re considering
• Divide savings by the monthly gap to see how long the money lasts
• Plan now for what happens if the money runs short

A simple way to decide next steps:

• If the money lasts several years, then focus on finding the right fit, and ask about yearly increases.
• If it lasts one to two years, then consider a shared room or board and care, and talk with a qualified advisor about the longer term.
• If your parent is a wartime veteran or surviving spouse, then call the Placer County Veterans Service Office about Aid & Attendance.
• If savings are very low, then talk with a qualified advisor and your county Medi-Cal office. Standard Medi-Cal can pay for skilled nursing for people who qualify, and the waiver is only available in other counties.

The surprise most families hit: Medicare does not pay for assisted living or board and care. It covers hospital care, short-term rehab and hospice.

Free help in Placer County

• Placer County Veterans Service Office: 1000 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 115, Rocklin. (916) 780-3290 (Placer County)
• Agency on Aging Area 4 for free information on senior programs in Placer County
• Your county Medi-Cal office for asset and eligibility questions. Medi-Cal’s 2026 asset limit is $130,000 for one person through June 30, 2027 (DHCS)

How Nonna Placements works: Nonna Placements is free to families. Licensed homes pay us a placement fee when someone moves in. You can choose any home. This article is general information, not medical, legal, or financial advice.

Talk it through with us

If you’re working out how to pay for care for a parent in Roseville, Rocklin, Granite Bay or anywhere in Placer County, call us. We’ll explain realistic options and set up tours of licensed homes that fit your budget. It’s free to your family.

Call or text (916) 261-2644 or email roberto@nonnaplacements.com.

Related reading: How Will We Pay for Mom’s Care? A Sacramento & Placer Roadmap · VA Aid & Attendance for Sacramento & Placer Families · Board and Care or Assisted Living? · Senior living in Roseville

Sources

• California DHCS, Assisted Living Waiver: https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/long-term-care-alternatives-home-and-community-based-service-options/assisted-living-waiver/
• California DHCS, Asset Limit FAQ: https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/medi-cal/help/asset-limit-frequently-asked-questions/
• CareScout, 2025 Cost of Care Survey, state data tables: https://assets.carescout.com/x/5c90319b6a/298701.pdf
• VA, Current pension rates for Veterans: https://www.va.gov/pension/veterans-pension-rates/
• Medicare.gov, Long-term care: https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/long-term-care
• Placer County Veterans Services: https://www.placer.ca.gov/veterans
• Agency on Aging Area 4: https://agencyonaging4.org/

About the author

Roberto Hategan is the CEO & Founder of Nonna Placements, a senior placement service in Granite Bay serving families across California, with a focus on Placer and Sacramento counties. Contact: roberto@nonnaplacements.com

Photo credits: Mikhail Nilov and Jsme MILA (two photos), via Pexels, Pexels License.