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Episode 4 · Senior living & care costs

Niki Gewirtz

Senior living expert and Training Manager at A Place for Mom

On Retirement Navigator

Home Care, Assisted Living or Memory Care: How to Know Which One

Niki Gewirtz

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“How many months or years of assisted living do we have saved for our retirement? … A lot of times it's not a matter of if, it's when you're gonna need to get some sort of help.”

— Niki Gewirtz, Episode 4, at 22:12

About Niki

Niki Gewirtz is a senior living expert and Training Manager at A Place for Mom, a leading national senior care advisory service that helps families navigate options like memory care, assisted living, independent living, and home care. She joined A Place for Mom in 2017 and has more than two decades of experience advising families on senior care decisions, bringing deep frontline knowledge of the challenges and practical considerations that come with aging support. In her current role, Niki leads training for the Sales Performance and Training team, helping advisors strengthen their ability to support seniors and their loved ones with confidence and clarity.

She also contributes to A Place for Mom’s YouTube channel and other expert content, sharing insights into memory care, care transitions, and what families most need to know when planning for the future.

Credentials

  • Training Manager, A Place for Mom
  • Two decades advising families on senior care decisions

Follow Niki's Work

What you'll learn


  • How to recognize early signs that extra care or support may be needed
  • The different kinds of care, from independent living to memory care, and what each one provides
  • Understanding Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and why they matter for safety
  • When aging at home is realistic—and when it may no longer be sustainable
  • Real-world costs of assisted living, memory care, and in-home care
  • Ways to pay for care, including Social Security, pensions, savings, a home, long-term care insurance and veterans' Aid and Attendance benefits
  • Why early planning helps avoid crisis decisions and reduces family stress
  • The importance of power of attorney and having legal plans in place

In this episode


  • 00:00Meet Niki
  • 02:37When Caregiving Stops Being Sustainable
  • 04:52Independent Living and Assisted Living
  • 07:57Memory Care and Home Care
  • 09:32Daily Needs That Can't Be Scheduled
  • 13:00What Home Care Really Costs
  • 15:58Start Before the Crisis
  • 18:14Tour Communities on Your Own
  • 20:05When It's Already an Emergency
  • 22:31What to Look For in a Community
  • 24:23How Families Pay for Care
  • 27:50How A Place for Mom Works
  • 33:16Power of Attorney Before It's Needed
  • 35:04The Nursing Home Myth
  • 37:38Is Staying Home Really Cheaper?
  • 39:08Where to Find Niki

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