Before you start your search for Providenceassisted living facilities, learn what you can expect in the "The Creative Capital" from cost of care to cultural amenities.

If you already live in the Providence area, you know how it can lighten the the wallet. The cost of living is 27% higher than the national average. Taxation in the Ocean State is equally tough. Social Security benefits are taxed, as are most other sources of retirement income like pensions.

The average cost of a private, one-bedroom in a Providence assisted living facility is $4,500 a month, according to a recent survey by Genworth Financial. The average cost for a private room in a nursing home is $315 a day; the average for a semi-private room is $291.

Within the php ">State of Rhode Island Department of Health , the Office of Facility Regulation is responsible for licensing, regulating and inspecting all assisted living facilities within the state. To learn more about assisted living regulations in the state go to their website . In addition, go the Rhode Island's comprehensive Department of Elderly Affairs website for senior-related news, program and services information and important web links.

Among the attractions in the city are its 1,200 acres of parks such Waterplace Park and Riverwalk, Prospect Terrace Park, and Roger Williams Park with its zoo, Botanical Center, and Museum of Natural History and Planetarium. Also, check out the city's nine public libraries as well as the Providence Athenæum, one of the oldest libraries in the country.

The creative hub of the city is the Rhode Island School of Design Museum, boasting the twentieth largest collection in the country. The creative can't-miss in Providence is the summer's Waterfire--100 bonfires placed in the city's three rivers and Waterplace Park.

The City of Providence runs 10 senior centers around the city. The downtown Westminster Senior Center, for example, provides educational and cultural projects, volunteer work, insurance counseling and many other services. The yearly cost is only $5.