Our Editorial Standards & Sources

By the BestSeniorLivingNow editorial team — last reviewed June 2026

Our editorial commitment

Senior care is one of the most consequential decisions a family makes. We believe every number on this site should trace to a verifiable, published primary source — not an internal estimate dressed up as fact. Where we use calibrated estimates (for states lacking published primary-source data), we say so explicitly in the underlying data files and on relevant pages.

We also refuse to fabricate authority. We have no named credentialed reviewer on staff at this time. Content is produced and reviewed by the BestSeniorLivingNow editorial team. Nothing on this site constitutes medical, legal, or financial advice.

Primary sources by data type

Cost of care — national figures

National median assisted living ($6,200/mo), in-home care ($35/hr), and semi-private nursing home ($9,581/mo) figures come from the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey (published 2026 by Genworth/CareScout). This is the same dataset previously distributed under the Genworth brand.

Cost of care — memory care

The national memory care median ($6,690/mo) comes from the A Place for Mom 2026 Cost of Long-Term Care report, which draws on network-wide pricing data. Memory care figures are sourced from A Place for Mom 2026, not CareScout. The ~20–25% memory care premium over assisted living is also based on A Place for Mom 2026 methodology; we apply a 23% central estimate when deriving state-level memory care figures.

Cost of care — state-level assisted living

Nineteen state assisted-living medians are source-verified from the A Place for Mom 2026 “Cost of Assisted Living by State” report (national median per that dataset: $5,419/mo). The remaining states show calibrated estimates, clearly labeled as such, recalibrated to sit between the verified low (~$3,983, Louisiana) and high (~$7,480, New Jersey) anchors.

VA Aid & Attendance

Maximum Annual Pension Rates (MAPR) effective December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026, sourced directly from VA.gov — Current VA Pension Rates. The MAPR is a ceiling, not a flat payment — VA pays the difference between the MAPR and the veteran’s countable income. The 2026 net worth limit ($163,699) is also from VA.gov.

SSI Federal Benefit Rate

The 2026 SSI Federal Benefit Rate (individual $994/mo, couple $1,491/mo), effective January 1, 2026, is sourced from SSA.gov. The $2,000/$3,000 resource limits are statutory and have been unchanged since 1989.

Medicaid income cap

The 300%-of-SSI institutional income cap ($2,982/mo for 2026) is derived from the SSI FBR and documented in KFF Medicaid policy data (2026). Income and asset limits vary significantly by state and program pathway; state-level figures on this site are general patterns, not binding eligibility determinations.

What we do not do

• We do not invent precision for figures we have not sourced. Unverified state figures are explicitly labeled as estimates.
• We do not fabricate reviewers, credentials, or expert names. Attribution is to "the BestSeniorLivingNow editorial team" only.
• We do not use AI-generated cost figures as primary sources. AI is used only to assist with writing; all numbers trace to the primary sources listed here.
• We do not claim tax, legal, or eligibility advice. All benefit figures are for general information only.

Update cadence

Cost-of-care figures are reviewed annually when CareScout and A Place for Mom publish updated surveys (typically Q1 each year). Federal benefit rates (VA MAPR, SSI FBR) are updated when the VA and SSA publish new rates, normally each December for the following benefit year. Pages are re-verified and the “last reviewed” date is updated at that time.

Corrections

If you find an error in our data, please contact us through the site. We will investigate and correct promptly, noting the change and its source.