How to Select an Assisted Living Facility
As senior citizens get older, they might find that they need assistance with one or two areas of their lives. Where a nursing home would be too restrictive and offer more medical care than needed, an assisted living facility could be the best option. Assisted living offers seniors a place to live where they can still enjoy personal freedom, but also get minor medical care and assistance with daily activities of life.
A nationwide set of standards for assisted living care homes do not exist. Each state handles the licensing requirements that a facility must meet in order to be licensed as an assisted living provider. The size, scope and care offered by assisted living facilities differ substantially among states but also between facilities of the same state. As a result it is vitally important that you conduct thorough research about the assisted living options in your area. We have tried to make our assisted living directory as helpful and informative as possible to help you make a more informed decision. However, nothing can match visiting the facilities for yourself, taking tours, speaking with staff and residents and asking any and all questions that you have.
Common Features of Assisted Living
Before we get into the specifics of the below topics, it is important to understand that most assisted living facilities have a couple of things in common. First, most facilities are community based. They differ in size of complexes and number of residents, but one of the most comforting aspects of assisted living care is the social companionship and community feeling that assisted living offers. Secondly, all facilities offer a basic package of services. These usually include: assistance with daily routines (eating, bathing, dressing), medicine management, transportation, and medical monitoring. View our services provided article to see more common services offered. Just remember that each facility may charge for these common services differently.
Be sure to Consider these Things
While conducting research and making your decision, we recommend that you seriously consider the following factors:
1) How much can you afford for assisted living?
2) What characteristics are you looking for in an assisted living community?
3) What are the personal and medical needs of the resident?
1) How much can you afford for assisted living?
The first thing you need to decide during your selection process is your budget for assisted living care. Typically Medicare does NOT cover long-term living options such as assisted living. Therefore most residents must pay for the cost using their own money. The monthly cost of assisted living varies greatly from one facility to the next and depending on the level of personal care service needed. Costs of assisted living can range from $2000-$8000 monthly. This is obviously a wide range, however that gives you an idea as to the variance of price points between facilities. Many residents strive to live in assisted living residences for the rest of their lives so proper financial planning must be devoted to setting aside a monthly budget available.
The cost of assisted living will replace the residents former permanent living costs, whether it be from an apartment, a mortgage, etc. So, it is important to be able to re-budget all previous living costs and understand the new potential costs of assisted living. Since assisted living is usually a permanent solution to the declining health needs of the resident, most people moving to assisted living homes from independent living sell their homes. Many use the proceeds from the sale of their previous homes and other assets to help fund the assisted living costs.
2) What characteristics are you looking for in an assisted living community?
Once you have determined your budget, you should start compiling a list of characteristics that would be ideal for the assisted living facility. Licensed facilities come in all shapes and sizes. Do you want a large complex that also has skilled nursing care? Do you want a smaller facility with fewer residents? What area do you want the facility to be in? Do you have any specific transportation requests? Do you want the facility to offer certain social activities? Deciding on the desired characteristics of a facility will help you narrow down the potential residences.
All assisted living facilities offer care and assistance for daily living activities. Assistance with meals, toileting, grooming, bathing and transportation are all examples of the type of daily care that can be offered. However the extent of the level of care offered and the cost associated with each specific task is what you need to find research. Some facilities may strive to exceed a client's expectations, while others may only offer the specific service when requested. Use hotels as an analogy, while all offer a place to stay for a night, the quality of the rooms, the helpfulness of the staff, the cleanliness of the building, the amenities offered and the dining available is different from one choice of hotels to the next. Because of this, the nightly rate at one hotel compared to the other can be significantly different. This holds true for assisted living facilities. Your goal should be to find the best facility for you, including the medical attention you need, for a price you can most afford.
3) What are the personal and medical needs of the resident?
Once you have found some assisted living facilities in your area that appear to meet your budget and the general characteristics you are looking for, it is time to look into the deciding factor of assisted living care - the amount of care they can offer you. Each resident should have a specific list of the daily living activities and medical care assistance that they require. You must make sure the facilities you are considering provide all these services. You must also make sure your price quote includes ALL fees and costs associated with every service the resident needs. There have been many residents surprised to receive bills detailing charges for various services they thought were included.
Each resident needs a different level of personal care. This will typically be defined during your application process while establishing your personal care plan. Learn more about the assisted living care plan here. The varying degree to which the potential resident needs daily living assistance will be outlined and specified. How much if any help is needed getting dressed? Can the resident eat on their own or is assistance needed? Does the resident have their own transportation or do they need daily transportation for specific activities such as physical therapy? Can the resident administer their own medication or do they need consistent management of their medicine? Is assistance needed with bathing and toileting? Does the resident get depressed if they don't interact with others regularly so they require check-ins and social interaction activities more than others? Each of these questions can shape the customized care plan for the resident.
Not every assisted living facility is staffed the same way. Some facilities will be staffed by a combination of nurses and trained staff. However, the trained staff may NOT be skilled nurses, they may be aides or other staff members who can assist residents but they may not be licensed skilled nurses. Learn and ask about the staff. How many skilled nurses, physical therapists or other healthcare professionals are accessible? What is the ratio of staff to residents? These are important things to consider when evaluating the facility and its available staff.
Some facilities offer more services than others. Some facilities run a larger staff than others. You need to tour the list of potential facilities and study the resident care plan so that you will get a specific list of all costs associated with the services the resident needs. In addition, by discussing the specific personal and medical needs of the resident, you can identify any potential issues, such as services you need but the facility might not provide as often as the resident would like.
Conduct Due Diligence on the Facilities
Make sure to do your due diligence relating to the company operating the facility. We have listed all licensed facilities for each state, however this constantly changes based on new state requirements, inspection results and the operating state of the facility. Double check with your state to make sure the facility is in good standing. Check to see if the assisted living facility has had any red flags on the latest round of state inspections.
The cost, the facilities physical characteristics and the services offered are the key factors to consider when selecting an assisted living option. As you conduct your search, you will be able to filter the list of potential residences and narrow down your prospective choices. When it comes down to it the right decision will be a facility that meets the most needs of the resident at a price that fits the budget.
Be discriminative and informed. Have a specific list of what your needs are, visit each facility you are considering, interview the staff and the residents and make a well-researched decision. Get a specific price quote that includes ALL the additional costs for your specific care plan. From your assessment of the facility and the price quote you will have plenty of information to allow you to make an informed decision in selecting the right assisted living facility.
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