Paying for Assisted Living and Memory Care in O'Fallon, Illinois
Once you have found a place that feels right for your parent, the next question is how to pay for it each month. CareScout's 2025 survey reports a median assisted living cost of $6,050 a month in the St. Louis metro area, which includes O'Fallon, or about $72,600 a year (CareScout Cost of Care tool). Few families cover that from one source. Most combine several, and some qualify for programs they had not heard of. This guide walks through the options for O'Fallon and St. Clair County families.
Private funds
Income
Add up your parent's monthly income from Social Security, pensions, annuities, and retirement withdrawals, after taxes and insurance premiums. Compare it with the monthly rate.
Savings and investments
Savings and investment accounts often cover the gap. Divide available savings by the monthly shortfall to estimate how long they will last.
Home equity
For many families, the house is the largest asset. Selling it can pay for several years of care. Some families rent it out instead, or use a short-term bridge loan while a sale closes. A financial adviser can help with taxes and timing.
Family contributions
If adult children share costs, write down the arrangement so expectations are clear for everyone involved.
Long-term care insurance
A long-term care policy may pay part of the cost once the policyholder needs help with daily activities or has a cognitive impairment. Check:
- The daily or monthly benefit
- The elimination period
- Whether assisted living, memory care, adult day, and respite are covered
- The lifetime maximum
- How to file a claim
Call the insurer early, because approval can take weeks, and keep copies of every form you send.
VA benefits
O'Fallon sits next to Scott Air Force Base, and many local families include veterans or surviving spouses. Wartime veterans and surviving spouses who meet income, asset, and care-need requirements may receive a VA pension with an Aid and Attendance increase. From December 1, 2025, through November 30, 2026, VA lists these maximum annual amounts (VA, Veterans Pension rates):
| Situation | Maximum annual pension with Aid and Attendance |
|---|---|
| Veteran with no dependents | $29,093 |
| Veteran with one dependent | $34,488 |
| Two veterans married to each other | $46,143 |
The net worth limit is $163,699. VA subtracts countable income, and unreimbursed medical expenses, including care costs, can reduce it. Veterans in the Metro East can get health care through the VA St. Louis Health Care System (VA St. Louis health care).
Illinois Supportive Living Program
Illinois' Supportive Living Program (SLP), run by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS), is described by HFS as an affordable assisted living model for people 65 and older, or people with physical disabilities ages 22 to 64, who would otherwise need nursing facility care (Illinois HFS, Supportive Living Program resident fact sheet).
Key points from HFS:
- SLP providers offer services such as personal care, medication oversight, intermittent nursing, meals, housekeeping, laundry, and 24-hour response.
- Medicaid pays for services, but every SLP resident has a monthly room and board charge based on the federal SSI amount.
- Each Medicaid-eligible resident must have income at least equal to the current SSI amount and contributes all but a $120 personal needs allowance each month toward lodging, meals, and their share of care.
- Certified Dementia Care Settings are part of the program.
- SLP sites are certified under a separate Illinois rule and are exempt from the Assisted Living and Shared Housing Act.
Because SLP is available only at certified sites, ask any community whether it participates. HFS's Bureau of Long-Term Care can be reached at 844-528-8444.
Community Care Program
For families who want to keep a parent at home longer, the Illinois Department on Aging's Community Care Program helps older adults who might otherwise need nursing home care remain at home. It provides care coordination, adult day services, in-home services, emergency home response, and automated medication dispensers. Eligibility includes being 60 or older, having non-exempt assets of $17,500 or less (a home, car, and personal furnishings are exempt), having an assessed need for long-term care, and applying for Medicaid if eligible (Illinois Department on Aging, Community Care Program). The Senior HelpLine is 1-800-252-8966.
Medicare
Medicare does not pay for room and board or ongoing personal care in assisted living or memory care. It continues to cover eligible medical care, such as doctor visits, hospital stays, and Part D prescriptions.
Tax considerations
Part of the cost of assisted living or memory care may be deductible as a medical expense in some cases, especially when a person is chronically ill and care follows a plan prescribed by a licensed health care practitioner. Ask a tax professional.
Local help in St. Clair County
AgeSmart Community Resources, the area agency on aging serving St. Clair County, offers information and assistance, options counseling, and caregiver respite help at 618-222-2561 (AgeSmart Community Resources, St. Clair County services).
Planning ahead for couples
When one spouse needs care and the other stays at home, the financial picture changes. The spouse at home still needs income for housing and daily living. Before selling a home or moving assets, talk with an elder law attorney or financial planner who knows Illinois rules, especially if Medicaid-funded programs may be needed later. Decisions made in a hurry can be hard to undo.
Putting a plan together
- List your parent's monthly income.
- List savings and assets that could be used for care.
- Note any long-term care insurance benefit.
- Check VA eligibility.
- Ask whether SLP or the Community Care Program may apply.
- Compare the total with each community's monthly rate.
- Revisit the plan each year or when needs change.
Our guide to assisted living costs in O'Fallon explains what shapes a quote, and our guide to choosing assisted living in O'Fallon can help with the search.
Talk with Joe's Place Caring Cottage
Joe's Place Caring Cottage, at 1032 Hartman Lane in O'Fallon, offers cottage-style assisted living support, memory care, adult day, and respite. Call (618) 607-9906 to talk through current rates and what is included.
Frequently asked questions
Does Medicaid pay for assisted living in Illinois?
At certified Supportive Living Program sites, Medicaid pays for services while residents pay room and board. Medicaid does not generally pay for other assisted living.
What is the personal needs allowance in Illinois' Supportive Living Program?
HFS says Medicaid-eligible SLP residents keep $120 a month and contribute the rest of their income toward lodging, meals, and care.
Who qualifies for Illinois' Community Care Program?
Adults 60 or older with non-exempt assets of $17,500 or less and an assessed need for long-term care, who apply for Medicaid if eligible.
Can VA benefits help pay for assisted living?
Yes. Eligible wartime veterans and surviving spouses may receive a VA pension with Aid and Attendance, up to $29,093 a year for a veteran with no dependents in the current period.