When you first sit down to work out how to pay for assisted living, you will usually find the money is in several places. There may be a checking account, a retirement account, a house, an old insurance policy in a drawer and a veteran’s discharge papers. Each one has its own rules, and some take months to pay out.
With private pay assisted living, your family pays the monthly bill from these sources. Some of them pay only after a claim, a sale or a waiting period, so it helps to know when each one can start paying. To learn what assisted living costs in Fulshear and how to compare quotes, read How much does assisted living cost in Fulshear, TX? first.
Key Takeaway
Private pay assisted living means the resident or their family pays the monthly cost directly, without Medicaid or another public program paying the community. Families often combine savings, retirement income, money from a home, long-term care insurance, VA Aid and Attendance and life insurance. Several of these do not pay right away, so plan to cover the first months from savings. Medicare does not pay for assisted living. SilverMaple Assisted Living in Fulshear, Texas, is private pay.
What you may notice when you add up your parent’s money
The first thing many people notice is that the money is not all available at once. A savings account can be used this month. A house may take months to sell. An insurance policy may have a waiting period written into it.
The timing matters because the community starts billing on move-in day. If the biggest source of money arrives three or six months later, you need a way to pay the bills for those months.
Before you choose a community, list every source your parent has, how much it could pay each month and when it could start.
Ask your parent what they think, too. Your parent may have saved for years for exactly this, or may have meant the house to go to the grandchildren. Ask what they want used first and what they want to keep, and build the plan around their answers.
What does private pay assisted living mean?
Private pay assisted living means the person receiving care, or their family, pays the community directly from their own money or their own insurance. A private pay community does not bill Medicaid or another government program for the monthly rate.
Because no public program pays, your family pays the full monthly cost, so it helps to know where each month’s payment will come from before the move.
How do families use savings and retirement income?
Savings and retirement income are usually the first and fastest way families pay. These include checking and savings accounts, pensions, Social Security, retirement accounts, investments and annuities.
Families can use savings and pensions right away, so they often pay for the first months while slower sources get started. The downside is that savings get used up. Taking money out of some retirement accounts or investments can also mean paying taxes.
Before you move large sums, talk with a financial planner or tax professional about which accounts to draw from first. Ask a tax professional whether any part of your parent’s care costs can be deducted. The answer depends on your parent’s situation and current tax rules.
Can selling or renting the house pay for assisted living?
Selling or renting your parent’s home is how many families pay for assisted living over the long term. For many older adults, the house is the largest thing they own.
A sale can take months, and the money arrives only at closing. Renting the house out can bring in money each month, but someone has to act as the landlord, or you pay a company to do it.
For your parent, the house also means their daily routines, their neighbors and decades of their life. Some parents want to make the call about the house themselves, and some need time before they are ready. If you can, pay for the first months another way, so no one has to rush deciding about the house.
A reverse mortgage is another way some families use home equity. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) [1] states that a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage requires counseling from a HUD-approved reverse mortgage counseling agency. One question the CFPB [1] suggests asking that counselor is what happens if the borrower has to move to a nursing home. Ask the same question about a move to assisted living before you sign. A reverse mortgage usually comes due when the last borrower no longer lives in the home, including after more than 12 months in a row in a care setting, so it mainly helps while a borrower or eligible spouse still lives in the house.
Does long-term care insurance pay for assisted living?
Long-term care insurance can pay for assisted living, depending on the policy. The Texas Department of Insurance [2] lists “care in a nursing home or assisted living center” among the services these policies cover.
Long-term care insurance usually does not start paying on day one. According to the Texas Department of Insurance [2], most policies make you wait 30 to 180 days before they start paying. The waiting time is called the elimination period. Some policies count only the days you actually receive care, and others count every day on the calendar.
The Texas Department of Insurance [2] also explains when the policy pays. Payment starts when the policyholder can’t do certain activities of daily living, the basic tasks of caring for yourself, or has a cognitive impairment, meaning trouble with thinking or memory.
If your parent has a policy, find it and check four things: the waiting period, how the days are counted, how much it pays and how to file a claim. Your parent may have paid for that policy for many years and will likely want it to help now. For questions about a Texas policy, the Texas Department of Insurance Help Line is 800-252-3439.
Ask any community you are considering how families with a long-term care policy handle billing and claim paperwork.
Can VA Aid and Attendance help pay for assisted living?
VA Aid and Attendance can help eligible veterans and surviving spouses pay for care. VA.gov [3] describes it as an extra monthly payment added to a VA pension. That means your parent must also qualify for a VA pension.
According to VA.gov [3], a person getting a VA pension may qualify if they need help with daily activities such as bathing, feeding and dressing. VA lists a few other conditions that can also qualify. VA.gov [3] lists three ways to apply: online, by mail using VA Form 21-2680, or in person at a VA regional office. A medical examiner fills out part of Form 21-2680.
VA.gov [3] states that claims are processed in the order they are received. Plan to pay the monthly bill from savings or another source until the VA payment begins.
Because VA pays the money to the veteran or surviving spouse as part of the pension, your family can use it along with savings and other money. Ask any community how families who receive VA benefits usually pay. For questions about your parent’s eligibility, contact VA directly.
Can life insurance help pay for long-term care?
Some life insurance policies can help pay for long-term care while the policyholder is still living. The Administration for Community Living [4] describes three ways this can work:
- Combination policies. Some policies combine life insurance and long-term care coverage.
- Accelerated death benefits. Some policies let the policyholder get an advance on the death benefit while still alive. ACL [4] notes that these payouts are often more limited than long-term care insurance. Accelerated payouts also reduce what heirs receive.
- Life settlements. A policyholder may sell the policy for a cash payment. ACL [4] notes that little or no death benefit remains for heirs. The proceeds may also be taxed.
Each of these options gives your parent money now and can leave less for heirs later. Your parent may feel strongly about who receives the money from that policy, so include them in deciding. Talk with the insurance company and a financial or elder law professional before you act.
What do Medicare and Medicaid leave out?
Medicare does not pay for assisted living. Medicare.gov [5] states that Medicare and most health insurance, including Medigap, don’t pay for long-term care. Long-term care means help with everyday tasks such as bathing and dressing. Medicare.gov [5] adds that you pay all costs for services Medicare doesn’t cover, including most long-term care.
In Texas, the Medicaid program called STAR+PLUS serves adults who are 65 or older or who have disabilities. Texas Health and Human Services [6] lists assisted living among its services. To apply for Medicaid, Texas HHS [6] directs people to Your Texas Benefits or 2-1-1. Medicaid has its own rules about who qualifies. Ask any community whether it takes part in STAR+PLUS.
STAR+PLUS is not a way to pay at SilverMaple. For more on how Texas Medicaid works with assisted living, see the Medicaid section of our assisted living cost guide.
How do the payment sources compare?
Here is how the main ways families pay for assisted living compare on what has to happen first, when the money can start and what limits apply. The last column shows how each one works at SilverMaple. Check every row with the program, insurer or community involved.
| Payment source | What has to happen first | When money can start | Limits to know | At SilverMaple |
| Savings, pensions and retirement income | Nothing beyond access to the accounts | Right away | Runs down over time; some withdrawals have tax effects | Used to pay the monthly rate |
| Selling or renting the home | Listing, sale or finding a tenant | At closing, or monthly once rented | Can take months; renting adds landlord work | Used to pay the monthly rate once funds arrive |
| Reverse mortgage | Counseling from a HUD-approved agency | After the loan closes | Usually comes due if the borrower is away from the home more than 12 months in a row | Ask the counselor before a move |
| Long-term care insurance | A claim showing your parent meets the policy’s conditions for payment | After the elimination period, often 30 to 180 days | Benefit amount and length are set by the policy | Ask how families with a policy handle billing |
| VA Aid and Attendance | Qualifying for a VA pension and applying | After VA processes the claim | Only for eligible veterans and survivors | Ask how families using VA benefits pay |
| Life insurance options | Insurer approval or a sale of the policy | After approval or sale | Can reduce or end the benefit for heirs | Used like other private funds |
| Medicare | Not applicable | Does not pay | Does not pay for assisted living | Does not pay the monthly rate |
| Texas Medicaid (STAR+PLUS) | Medicaid eligibility and a participating community | After enrollment | Eligibility rules apply | Not an option; SilverMaple is private pay |
SilverMaple Assisted Living does not take Medicaid. If your parent will rely on Medicaid to pay for assisted living, a community that takes part in STAR+PLUS is the better choice.
What does private pay look like at SilverMaple?
SilverMaple Assisted Living in Fulshear, Texas, is private pay, so your family pays our monthly rate directly and no public program pays our home on your beloved’s behalf. We give quotes by phone at (346) 381-8585, based on the care your beloved needs. When you call, tell us how your family plans to pay. Keep any long-term care policy or VA paperwork nearby, so you can ask how other families with the same kind of policy or benefit have paid.
A respite care stay is paid privately as well. When a room is open, a short respite stay lets your beloved try our home before your family spends savings or sells a house for a longer stay.
Some services may come with a separate bill from another provider, such as therapy during transitional care or a licensed hospice provider during hospice care. Ask which charges come from us and which come from someone else. To see what daily care in our home covers, read what assisted living at SilverMaple includes or what services assisted living provides.
Faith is part of daily life here, rooted in our founders’ dependence on and gratitude to the Lord, and we welcome residents of every background.
How can you plan for the first months?
To plan the first months, match each source of money to the date it can start paying. Writing the dates on a simple timeline shows which months have no money coming in. You can start these steps this week:
- List every source. Write down each account, policy, pension and property, with the monthly amount and the earliest date it could pay.
- Find the paperwork. Locate insurance policies, discharge papers and account statements before a move is urgent.
- Start the slow claims now. A VA application or a long-term care insurance claim can begin before a move. If you file the VA application early, VA may already be working on it by move-in day.
- Plan for the months before slower sources pay. Decide which savings will pay the first months, including any insurance waiting period and the time VA takes to process a claim.
- Get professional advice. A financial planner, tax professional or elder law attorney can help you decide what to use first.
Key points
- Private pay means the resident or family pays the community directly, without Medicaid or another public program paying the monthly rate.
- Most families combine several sources, such as savings, a home sale, long-term care insurance, VA benefits and life insurance.
- Long-term care insurance usually has a 30 to 180 day waiting period. VA Aid and Attendance requires a VA pension. Plan to cover the first months from savings.
- Medicare does not pay for assisted living. Texas Medicaid’s STAR+PLUS program can include assisted living at participating communities.
- SilverMaple Assisted Living is private pay, so Texas Medicaid is not a way to pay there.
- A financial planner, tax professional or elder law attorney can help you decide which sources to use first.
- If you match each payment source to the date it can start, you and your parent can spend the first months after the move settling in, with less time on paperwork.
Talk with us about paying for care
If you are working out how your family will pay for care, a conversation with us about how private pay works here is a good next step. Call (346) 381-8585 or visit our home in Fulshear, and we can give you a quote based on your beloved’s care. Whatever the plan for paying, the care stays the same: Your Beloved, Our Beloved.
Frequently asked questions
What is private pay senior living?
Private pay senior living is housing and care that the resident or family pays for directly, without a public program paying the community. Families usually use savings, retirement income, money from a home and insurance benefits to cover the monthly cost.
Is SilverMaple Assisted Living private pay?
SilverMaple Assisted Living in Fulshear, Texas, is private pay, which means the resident or family pays the monthly rate directly. Call us at (346) 381-8585 to talk about cost and payment for your beloved.
Does Medicare pay for assisted living?
Medicare does not pay for assisted living. Medicare.gov [5] states that Medicare and Medigap don’t pay for long-term care, which includes help with everyday tasks such as bathing and dressing.
Does long-term care insurance cover assisted living?
Long-term care insurance can cover assisted living, depending on the policy. The Texas Department of Insurance [2] lists assisted living among covered services. Most policies have a 30 to 180 day waiting period before they pay. Read the policy and call the insurer to confirm what it covers.
Can life insurance help pay for assisted living?
Some life insurance policies can help pay for long-term care. Options include combination policies, accelerated death benefits or selling the policy. The Administration for Community Living [4] notes that accelerated benefits and policy sales reduce or end what heirs receive. Talk with the insurer and a financial or elder law professional before choosing one.
Can my parent try SilverMaple before we commit the money?
A respite stay at SilverMaple Assisted Living lets your beloved try our home for a few days or longer, when a room is open, before your family spends savings or sells a house for a longer stay. Respite stays are private pay, so ask what one costs when you call us at (346) 381-8585.
This article is for general information and is not financial, tax, legal or benefits advice. Program rules and insurance terms change, so confirm details with the agency or insurer and talk with a financial planner, tax professional or elder law attorney about your situation. Last reviewed: October 2026.
About the author
Carmina Del Fonso is a co-founder and Founder/Managing Member of SilverMaple Assisted Living in Fulshear, Texas. Carmina holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Ateneo de Manila University and an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, and spent more than 25 years leading global supply chain programs. Her grandmother, her mother and her years as a hospice volunteer led her to help found SilverMaple. Read Carmina’s bio.
Sources
[1] Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
“What should I think about before applying for a reverse mortgage loan and what should I ask a reverse mortgage counselor?”
https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-should-i-think-about-before-applying-for-reverse-mortgage-en-228/
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Accessed October 2026
[2] Texas Department of Insurance
“Long-term care insurance guide.”
https://www.tdi.texas.gov/pubs/consumer/cb032.html
Texas Department of Insurance
Accessed October 2026
[3] U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
“Aid and Attendance benefits and Housebound allowance.”
https://www.va.gov/pension/aid-attendance-housebound/
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Accessed October 2026
[4] Administration for Community Living
“Using Life Insurance to Pay for Long-term Care.”
https://acl.gov/ltc/costs-and-who-pays/who-pays-long-term-care/using-life-insurance-to-pay-for-long-term-care
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Accessed October 2026
[5] Medicare.gov
“Long-term care.”
https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/long-term-care
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Accessed October 2026
[6] Texas Health and Human Services
“STAR+PLUS.”
https://www.hhs.texas.gov/services/health/medicaid-chip/medicaid-chip-members/starplus
Texas Health and Human Services Commission
Accessed October 2026