The $16,000 per month figure can scare anyone, but it depends a lot on what’s included: private vs. semi-private room, level of care (daily assistance, medication management), therapy, dementia/secure unit, plus pass-through costs like incontinence supplies, medications, and transportation. For my dad, the big difference came from his dependency level (more daily help = higher rate) and the private room. I turned to American Senior Communities to understand how the bill is structured and what can be negotiated (for example, dropping optional add-ons).