Source: http://mariashriver.com/blog/2013/03/elder-care-with-community-and-companionship-cat-del-valle-castellanos/

November 28, 2014 / 0 comments

Things to consider when shopping for an Assisted Living Facility

Source: http://mariashriver.com/blog/2013/03/elder-care-with-community-and-companionship-cat-del-valle-castellanos/
Source: http://mariashriver.com/blog/2013/03/elder-care-with-community-and-companionship-cat-del-valle-castellanos/

My exposure and experience with assisted living facilities has my head and heart in a whirl of emotions. From my perspective, a significant need exists for improved staffing. Maybe what I see is understaffing due to budget trimming for corporate reasons. Of course, that is my opinion. However, assisted living facilities are clearly understaffed, help is underpaid, and the staff are expected to care for far too many clients/residents per shift.

My advice when shopping around for your loved ones is to visit someone already living in an assisted living facility. That way you can observe whether the facility is understaffed or not. This type of visit can be very informative. Several questions to keep in mind:

  1. Is there a care coordinator onsite?
  2. How many days a week and hours per day is the care coordinator available?

Why is that important? The role of a care coordinator is to liaise with the physicians, staff, and family members. For example, if your parent requires medical treatment, the care coordinator serves as the intermediary between the physician, family, and caregiver. If there is not a care coordinator, how is the family made aware of falls, changes in medication, or if the client/resident has an “incident” of some sort?

I have worked in facilities that do not have a care coordinator onsite. From my experience, it is nice to have one person who handles the care coordinator position. That way you do not have to hunt down other staff members who were there when the “incident” happened.

Here are several other things to think about when shopping for facilities:

  1. Is there a front desk person and how many hours a day?
  2. Is the building secure?
  3. Are there hidden fees? Such as additional fees for special diet, incontinence items, activities, etc.

You definitely want to know what is included in your monthly fee. I have several in-home private caregiver clients. These clients are aware that I also care for clients who live in a facility. They often ask me why do these clients need you if they are paying for assisted living. This is alarming information for one thinking they could need this extra care and expense.

Well, that’s all for now. Good luck shopping for the perfect facility for your loved ones. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to comment below. I will happily respond.

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