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Who are you caring for?
Which best describes their mobility?
How well are they maintaining their hygiene?
How are they managing their medications?
Does their living environment pose any safety concerns?
Fall risks, spoiled food, or other threats to wellbeing
Are they experiencing any memory loss?
Which best describes your loved one's social life?
Acknowledgment of Disclosures and Authorization
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington. Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services. APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid. We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour. APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment. You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints. Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights. APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.I agree that: A.I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information"). B.APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink. C.APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site. D.If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records. E.This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year. F.You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
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Mostly Independent
Your loved one may not require home care or assisted living services at this time. However, continue to monitor their condition for changes and consider occasional in-home care services for help as needed.
Remember, this assessment is not a substitute for professional advice.
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My Dad lives in his own home. It is my responsibility to place in him in a nursing home. I want to start looking now so everything is in place, he is 87 and starting to have serious dementia. Where do I start?
ProPublica, an independent, non-profit news organization that produces investigative journalism in the public interest, has just launched a new website that allows you to search by state to find out which nursing homes have the highest number of deficiencies. You can search through thousands of nursing homes and find out the results of recent government inspections, nationwide. There is a list of the worst states, but most importantly if you are a family member wanting to find a good nursing home for your elder relative, you can search by state and see the reports for the nursing homes just in your state. You can also search by keyword, city or name of nursing home.
To reach the reporting tool itself, click here: http://projects.propublica.org/nursing-homes/
For tips on how best to use the above reporting tool, click this link: http://www.propublica.org/article/how-to-search-nursing-home-inspect
I googled A Place for Mom and someone called me the same day. She asked for info on my mom's health and capabilities to determine if she needed nursing care or asisted living. Then she got me in touch with a representative for my state and city and gave me the options available, provided names of contacts, addresses, and kept in touch by email and phone. And on the right side of this page, you can click on the blue "Find Housing and Care" and follow the directions. Good luck in your search.
There are several online tools you can use as well. Medicare.gov has a nursing home database called Nursing Home Compare. It includes quality measures, ownership info, and survey findings for the most recent inspections. You can also check with your area agency on aging (eldercare.gov to find your local office). They can assist with many aspects of finding the right care for your dad. Good luck!
Visit, visit, and visit some more. Find some you want to check out and visit them at random times. Google and see if they have any rating online. If you visit at random times instead of just having a tour you might see something you would otherwise have missed. Visit at lunch, see how long they have to wait for meals and if the staff interacts with them, or just leaves them to their own devices.
I was fortunate enough to be able to delegate the tasks of phone calls and visits to a friend that is a nurse. I paid her for her time, but it was money well invested. She could do a much better job with her knowledge and expertise and she didn't have the emotional issues attached. I find that I get easily wrapped around the axle caring for my dad. I have found that I need to delegate (even if it means paying someone) when I can. It seems that most of the decisions I have to make have caught me offguard and time is always of the essence. I also asked everyone I know for referrals.
Susan, we found the nursing home that my mother-in-law had to go to for rehab, thru her insurance Kaiser. They had a list of places they recommended, and places that they had found unsuitable. When I brought up the name of a place near us, the lady from Kaiser shook her head and told us that Kaiser had pulled out of that nursing home because of poor conditions. Ask around to your friends too. Chances are one or more of the people you already know have a nursing home story.
There is no such thing as a good nursing home. Some are barely tolerable. But I'd suggest checking in with your local Elder Services first. There may be other options available -- special units in assisted living, day programs where he could spend his days supervised, in-home care, and the like.
I second many of the suggestions above especially visiting each facility once you have narrowed your list. As I started the search for a place for my Dad (90 yrs with a significant memory loss) to live last summer, I found a couple of additional people who may not come up as official experts, but they were quite helpful.
First, a friend who is a retired therapist and has worked in the community for a long time was invaluable in steering me clear of one facility. Others, later independently supported that advice. Next, an acquaintance who works for hospice was quite helpful. He visits every facility in town and knows how people are treated when family members are not present. I asked him, "if you were to go live in one of these facilities, which one would you choose?" He told me the places that were not necessarily the fanciest and newest, but instead, the places where residents take care of one another and where the staff is kind and caring. It turns out that we chose a different place than I originally expected because Dad did not need as high a level of care.
Another thing to consider is if the place you find can provide a "step up" to the next level of care. Dad has made friends where he is and they care about him. I am glad that it is likely he will be able to stay in the same place and get the care he needs for the rest of his life.
Finally, trust your gut. If a place does not feel right, even if you can't say why, skip it.
I conducted much of what has already been suggested, I reviewed Social Worker referals, online reviews, A Place for Mom which was very valuable to me, but I cant emphasize visit, visit, observe, talk to residents and Staff and always VISIT at random days and hours...always! My 97 yr old Dad went to Nursing Home care 1st, 9 mos later my 89 yr old Mom needed more help and actually asked to move in with Dad. It was not nor is not been, but the around the clock extra help is needed. I'm their only living Child and I become too emotionally entangled between doing what Mom and Dad want and what they/we need. Think, pray, make a concious decision and trust your gut while not under stress. My best wishes to you both.
Consider these suggestions on researching and choosing a nursing home. It’s an important task, so ask around and drop in on a few facilities. Knowing how to approach a facility when you’re concerned about the care they’re providing is half the battle. Advocating for your loved one in a respectful and effective way can improve his care and open the door for communication.
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington.
Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services.
APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid.
We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour.
APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment.
You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints.
Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights.
APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.
I agree that:
A.
I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information").
B.
APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink.
C.
APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site.
D.
If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records.
E.
This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year.
F.
You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
To reach the reporting tool itself, click here: http://projects.propublica.org/nursing-homes/
For tips on how best to use the above reporting tool, click this link: http://www.propublica.org/article/how-to-search-nursing-home-inspect
random times. Google and see if they have any rating online. If you visit at random times instead of just having a tour you might see something you would otherwise have missed. Visit at lunch, see how long they have to wait for meals and if the staff interacts with them, or just leaves them to their own devices.
First, a friend who is a retired therapist and has worked in the community for a long time was invaluable in steering me clear of one facility. Others, later independently supported that advice. Next, an acquaintance who works for hospice was quite helpful. He visits every facility in town and knows how people are treated when family members are not present. I asked him, "if you were to go live in one of these facilities, which one would you choose?" He told me the places that were not necessarily the fanciest and newest, but instead, the places where residents take care of one another and where the staff is kind and caring. It turns out that we chose a different place than I originally expected because Dad did not need as high a level of care.
Another thing to consider is if the place you find can provide a "step up" to the next level of care. Dad has made friends where he is and they care about him. I am glad that it is likely he will be able to stay in the same place and get the care he needs for the rest of his life.
Finally, trust your gut. If a place does not feel right, even if you can't say why, skip it.
Good luck in your search.
My best wishes to you both.
Knowing how to approach a facility when you’re concerned about the care they’re providing is half the battle. Advocating for your loved one in a respectful and effective way can improve his care and open the door for communication.
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