Choosing assisted living in Costa Rica starts with the person’s needs: help with everyday tasks, daytime company, overnight support, nursing care or a longer-term residential arrangement. Compare what each provider can actually deliver, and include the older person in the decision wherever possible.
This guide offers questions for evaluating care rather than a list of recommended facilities or an advertised national price. Official sources checked 6 September 2026.
Understand the different care options
CONAPAM, the National Council for Older Persons, describes long-stay homes, day centres and community care networks. Its publicly supported programmes address specific social and economic needs. That information should not be treated as a promise that any retiree can book a subsidised place.
- Residential care: ask about overnight staffing, the level of personal assistance and the conditions the home can manage.
- Day services: confirm the hours, transport, meals, admission criteria and whether the programme suits the person’s mobility and cognitive needs.
- Support at home: identify the tasks that require assistance and arrange cover for nights, weekends and a caregiver’s absence.
Contact CONAPAM or the organisation directly to discuss eligibility, assessment, capacity and funding. Avoid assuming that all long-stay homes have identical admission arrangements.
Check authorisation and the actual care offered
Official Decree 44730-S establishes the habilitation standard for long-stay homes serving older adults, including public, private and mixed services applying for initial authorisation or renewal. Ask the provider to show its current Ministry of Health authorisation and confirm its scope with the relevant health office.
Then ask practical questions. Who is on site overnight? Who supervises medication? What professional qualifications do staff hold? Can the service safely accommodate the person’s particular needs, including dementia or help transferring from a bed to a chair? What happens when those needs increase?
A pleasant garden or a bilingual website cannot answer those questions. Arrange a visit, ask to see the rooms and bathrooms that would actually be used, and request the proposed care plan in writing.
Look closely at accessibility and everyday life
Walk through the full daily route: bedroom, bathroom, dining area and entrance. Discuss steps, handrails, lighting, wheelchair access, room temperature and the distance to transport. Ask a suitably qualified professional to assess adaptations where needed.
Also ask about food preferences, visiting arrangements, privacy, activities and communication. If English is important, confirm which staff can communicate in English during each shift, including at night. Give the prospective resident a chance to express what matters to them.
Compare written costs, not headline prices
Request a dated, itemised quote based on the person’s assessed needs. Compare the same items across providers:
- Room type, meals, laundry and routine personal assistance.
- Nursing, therapies, medical appointments and transport.
- Medicines, continence supplies and mobility equipment.
- Additional overnight or one-to-one support.
- Deposit, refund terms, price increases and notice required to leave.
- What happens to the fee during a hospital stay.
Keep a reserve for changing needs. Older online estimates and currency conversions are a poor basis for a long-term care budget, especially when they exclude staffing or medical expenses.
Hiring a caregiver at home
Before hiring, define the duties, hours, qualifications and backup arrangements. A person providing companionship is not interchangeable with a nurse. Have the relevant clinician identify any tasks that require professional healthcare support.
Where an employment relationship exists, payroll and employment obligations need to be addressed. Check CCSS registration and contributions, and MTSS guidance on salary, working hours, holidays and other entitlements. Paying in cash does not itself determine whether someone is an employee. Our minimum-wage guide is a starting point; confirm the correct occupation classification for the actual duties.
Plan healthcare and residency separately
Confirm the individual’s insurance status and access arrangements directly with the CCSS or private insurer. Ask specifically about ongoing prescriptions, appointments, referrals and any services being proposed by the care provider. Do not assume that a healthcare policy pays a private residence’s accommodation or personal-care charges.
For a move from abroad, check current immigration requirements directly with DGME and review the person’s circumstances with an immigration professional. A care contract and an immigration application address different questions. Contact CRIE to discuss the immigration part of the plan.
Write down a backup plan
Decide who can be contacted, who can help if the main caregiver becomes unavailable, and what alternatives exist if the current arrangement no longer meets the person’s needs. Keep an updated medication list and emergency contacts accessible to the appropriate people, with the resident’s consent and privacy in mind.
For concerns about mistreatment or abandonment, CONAPAM provides reporting guidance and lists its Línea Dorada, 1165, available 24/7. For an immediate emergency, call 9-1-1.