Five different kinds of care, each with its own rules, costs, and trade-offs. Start here to figure out which one your family actually needs — then go deep on that one.
Almost every family we meet begins in the same place: knowing something has to change, and having no idea what the options are or what they're called. The categories below overlap confusingly and the industry does little to clarify them. Here's the honest map.
Read the "best when" line under each. Most families recognize their situation in one or two of them within about thirty seconds.
An apartment or cottage with meals, housekeeping, and activities included — but no hands-on personal care. A hospitality model, not a care model.
A private apartment in a community with staff available around the clock for bathing, dressing, medication management, and meals.
A secured community built specifically for Alzheimer's and other dementias, with dementia-trained staff, higher staffing ratios, and structured routines.
Licensed round-the-clock clinical care — either short-term rehabilitation after a hospital stay, or long-term when medical needs exceed residential care.
A caregiver comes to the house — anywhere from a few hours a week to around-the-clock support. No move, no downsizing, no leaving the neighborhood. Often the right first step, and sometimes the right permanent one. We'll also tell you honestly when the hours have climbed high enough that a community would cost less and serve better.
Georgia is more affordable than most of the country across every category of senior care. That said, metro Atlanta runs above the statewide figures, and the gap between settings is large enough that matching the setting to the actual level of need is where families save real money.
Figures reference the CareScout (formerly Genworth) 2025 Cost of Care Survey, published March 2026, alongside rates we see quoted locally. These are medians and ranges for planning, not quotes. Assisted living and memory care typically add care-level fees and a one-time community fee on top of base rent, and most communities raise rates 3–7% annually. Reviewed annually — confirm current pricing directly with any provider.
Two things families consistently underestimate. First, the advertised monthly rate is rarely the full cost in assisted living, because care-level fees are assessed separately and often after you've committed. Second, hourly home care crosses above assisted living somewhere around eight hours a day — so "staying home to save money" stops being true at a point most families don't see coming.
Every community and agency we recommend goes through the same nine-point review: licensing and regulatory history; staffing levels and turnover; actual care capabilities and discharge thresholds; cleanliness and safety; resident engagement; dining and accommodations; pricing and contract terms; feedback from families living it; and an in-person visit outside of scheduled tour hours.
The weighting shifts by care type — dementia training and overnight ratios matter most in memory care, CMS data and therapy intensity in skilled nursing, contract and refund terms in independent living. See the full process →
The role is poorly understood, partly because some operators in this industry are little more than lead brokers. Here's what the work looks like when it's done properly.
Health needs, budget, personality, geography, and family dynamics — before any community is named.
A short list chosen for fit, with honest notes on the trade-offs of each — not every provider who pays for leads.
We attend and ask about overnight staffing, care-tier triggers, and discharge conditions while you watch how staff treat residents.
Contract review, transition coordination, and a follow-up to confirm reality matches what was promised.
Our deepest community knowledge is in metro Atlanta, where we've walked the halls and met the leadership at the communities we recommend.
We also work with families elsewhere in Georgia. If you're outside metro Atlanta, tell us where — we'll be straightforward about how well we know that particular market rather than pretending every corner of the state is equally familiar.
Nothing. No consultation fee, no hourly rate, no retainer, no invoice. Everhaven is paid a referral fee by the community or agency when a family we introduced moves forward — from their marketing budget, not from your rate, and you would not pay less by going directly.
We assess your loved one's care needs, budget, and preferences; identify suitable communities or agencies from firsthand knowledge of the local market; attend tours with you; help compare pricing and contract terms; and support the transition through move-in and afterward. Reputable advisors do this at no cost to families and are compensated by the provider upon placement.
A directory returns everyone who pays to be listed, ranked by advertising rather than fit. It has never met your parent and has never set foot in those buildings. We visit communities in person, know their leadership and staffing realities, and recommend a handful rather than a hundred. More on the difference →
Roughly: independent living if no hands-on care is needed; assisted living if help with daily activities is; memory care if dementia requires a secure setting; skilled nursing if licensed clinical care or rehab is required; in-home care if staying home is workable and safe. Many families need a combination, or move between them over time — which is exactly why it's worth talking it through rather than guessing.
Nothing. We're paid a referral fee by the community or agency when a family we introduced moves forward, from their marketing budget rather than your rate. Full disclosure →
A curated shortlist typically arrives within about 48 hours of your first consultation. Overall timeline to move-in varies — some families move within two weeks, others take several months. If you're facing a hospital discharge deadline, say so and we'll work same-day.
Yes, and it's common — adult children elsewhere with a parent in Georgia. We tour on your behalf, video call you through communities, and act as your local eyes.
That's the most common place to begin. Thirty minutes, no cost, no obligation — tell us what's happening and we'll help you understand the options in front of you.
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