3 Critical Things Most Families Miss When They Choose An Assisted Living Residence

With many vacation visits home ending in a desperate search for assisted living alternatives for older loved ones, family care consultant Molly Shomer suggests that families often fail to check out the most important things. Taking a tour and sampling the food won”t substitute for skipping the three essential things every family should do before they make a final assisted living selection.
The Three Critical Things Most Families Miss When They Choose an Assisted Living Residence:
1. Review the contract and admission documents before move-in day. When the moving van is idling and your mother is sitting in the lobby it”s too late to ask important questions. Have the contract thoroughly reviewed ahead of time by someone who understands assisted living.
2. Ask for an “assessment and care plan” for your elder before signing an assisted living contract. What you pay will usually be based on the amount and kind of care provided. Know exactly what the facility will be doing for your elder. Even more important, know what will bump up the price later before you make a commitment.
3. Understand what will trigger a request that your elder move out, and how the appeal process works. Not all behaviors or medical conditions can be managed in an assisted living setting.
Many families feeling desperate for help don”t know that they may be able to avoid making a rushed selection. Many assisted living residences will permit a prospective resident to “try out” the facility for a week or two without a long-term contract. This is a perfect opportunity for an elder to receive needed care while the family takes the time they need to make the right decision.
2005 Molly Shomer. This article is free to use so long as it includes complete attribution, including live web site link and email link. Please notify me where the material will appear. The attribution should read: “By Molly Shomer of The Eldercare Team. Please visit Molly”s web site at http://www.eldercareteam.com for more elder care articles and important resources for those who are caring for aging adults.”