Paying for Assisted Living in Orange County: A Guide for Garden Grove Families
With the 2025 median cost of assisted living in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro area at $6,600 a month, according to CareScout, most Garden Grove families need a plan for how to pay (CareScout Cost of Care tool). Very few people cover that from Social Security alone. Most combine income, savings, and one or more benefit programs. This guide walks through the main options available in Orange County, with links to official sources.
Start with private resources
Most residents begin by paying privately, using:
- Social Security, pensions, and annuities
- Savings and investment accounts
- Proceeds from selling or renting a home
- Contributions from family members
In Orange County, a home is often a family's largest asset. Whether to sell, rent, or keep it involves tax, family, and benefit-eligibility questions, so talk with a financial adviser or elder law attorney before acting.
Medi-Cal's Assisted Living Waiver in Orange County
California's Assisted Living Waiver (ALW) is a Medi-Cal program that helps eligible people receive care in assisted living settings, including residential care facilities for the elderly, as an alternative to a nursing facility. It operates in only 15 California counties, and Orange County is one of them (California Health Care Foundation, Assisted Living Waiver explainer, PDF).
According to that explainer, to be eligible a person must:
- Be age 21 or older
- Have full-scope Medi-Cal with zero share of cost
- Have care needs equal to those of Medi-Cal residents of nursing facilities
- Be willing and able to live safely in an assisted living setting
- Be willing to live in one of the counties offering the waiver
Waiver enrollees receive care coordination from a state-authorized Care Coordination Agency, whose registered nurse or social worker assesses needs and helps build a service plan. Services include personal care, medication oversight, activities, coordination of other services, and 24-hour direct care staff.
How to start in Orange County
The Orange County Office on Aging publishes an Assisted Living Waiver fact sheet and a list of participating facilities (OC Office on Aging, ALW fact sheet, PDF). It describes the steps:
- Confirm Medi-Cal eligibility. Individuals with a Medi-Cal share of cost may not be enrolled. For Medi-Cal questions, the fact sheet lists the Orange County Social Services Agency at 1-800-281-9799.
- Determine level of care. Contact a Care Coordination Agency serving Orange County. A registered nurse does a phone pre-screening before a full assessment.
- Find a participating facility. Once approved, the person contacts a facility that accepts the waiver to ask about availability.
Things to know
- Not every home participates. Only facilities that accept the waiver can serve waiver enrollees. Check the current list and ask each home directly.
- There can be a wait. CHCF reported that as of October 2024, about 15,400 people were enrolled statewide and about 6,300 were on the waitlist.
- Room and board are separate. The waiver pays for care services; residents generally pay for room and board from their own income.
For more help, the Orange County Office on Aging information line is (800) 510-2020 or (714) 480-6450 (OC Office on Aging).
VA pension with Aid and Attendance
Wartime veterans and their surviving spouses may qualify for a VA pension, plus an Aid and Attendance amount if they need help with daily activities. For December 1, 2025, through November 30, 2026, VA lists these maximum annual pension rates with Aid and Attendance (VA pension rates):
| Situation | Maximum annual rate 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 for the period is $163,699. VA reduces the payment by countable income, but certain unreimbursed medical expenses, which can include care costs, may be deducted first. Orange County veterans can get free help applying from an accredited veterans service representative. The VA Long Beach Healthcare System serves veterans in the region (VA Long Beach health care).
Long-term care insurance
Look through your parent's files for a long-term care insurance policy. Many cover care in licensed residential care facilities once a person needs help with a certain number of daily activities or has a cognitive impairment. Check the daily or monthly benefit, the waiting period, the total benefit, and any facility requirements. Call the insurer early; claims take time, and most insurers will want an assessment and paperwork from the home before benefits begin. Keep copies of everything you send.
What Medicare does not pay
Medicare does not pay for room, board, or ongoing personal care in assisted living or a residential care home. It does cover many medical services a resident receives, such as doctor visits and hospice care.
A worked example
Consider a widowed mother in Garden Grove with $2,600 a month in income and $150,000 in savings. If her care costs match the 2025 metro median of $6,600, her monthly gap is about $4,000, and her savings would last a little over three years.
That timeline tells the family a few things. They have time to plan. If her late husband served in wartime, they should look into Aid and Attendance now. And if Medi-Cal may eventually be needed, they should ask whether the homes they like participate in the Assisted Living Waiver, so that a future change in how she pays does not force a move.
A step-by-step plan
- Add up your parent's income and assets.
- Get written quotes from homes and communities you like.
- Check for VA eligibility and long-term care insurance.
- Ask each home whether it accepts the Assisted Living Waiver.
- Call the OC Office on Aging for guidance on local programs.
- Talk with an elder law attorney about Medi-Cal planning if needed.
Talk with Maureen Guest Home
Maureen Guest Home #2, at 9362 Maureen Drive in Garden Grove, provides assisted living support in a residential house. Call (714) 539-0391 to ask about current rates and payment options, or read our guide to assisted living costs in Garden Grove.
Frequently asked questions
Does Medi-Cal pay for assisted living in Orange County?
Orange County is one of 15 California counties offering Medi-Cal's Assisted Living Waiver, which can cover care services in participating facilities for eligible people with full-scope Medi-Cal and no share of cost.
How do I apply for the Assisted Living Waiver in Orange County?
The Orange County Office on Aging fact sheet describes confirming Medi-Cal eligibility, contacting a Care Coordination Agency for a level-of-care assessment, and then contacting a participating facility.
Is there a waitlist for the Assisted Living Waiver?
There can be. CHCF reported about 6,300 people on the statewide waitlist as of October 2024.
How much is VA Aid and Attendance?
For December 1, 2025, through November 30, 2026, the maximum annual rate with Aid and Attendance is $29,093 for a veteran with no dependents.