There is a lot to think about before deciding whether assisted living is the path for you or your loved one. It will be huge change for you and them. While at home care, like Seniors Helping Seniors NH, is a great way to live at home, sometimes that just isn’t an option.
Assisted Living: 4 Questions to Ask
It can hard to think of what to ask when it comes to assisted living. There are so many aspects that are important, but you may only have so much time. Try to ask these 4 questions to start.
1. What Kind of Help Will Your Loved One Need?
This is a question you need to ask yourself.
Each community is different and have different amenities, services, and levels of care. They help residents with daily living activities like bathing, dressing, and taking medications. Some may not have a licensed nurse on staff, others will have some specialities.
You need to make sure to get a medical evaluation from a doctor so you know what’s going with them.
2. How Good is the Care?
Check to see if the community you are interested in provides assisted living. Then look closely at its inspection record. Depending on where you live and how complete the records are, you can find the inspection record.
You can also call your state’s long term care ombudsman and ask if the community has any complaints. Most common complaints include understaffing and delays in response to resident’s calls for assistance.
A lot of staff at assisted living communities are low paid, making only minimum wage. They aren’t really trained as well. You should ask how they would handle various situations like a fall or a complaint of pain or illness. See if you can talk to residents or their loved ones.
3. How Much Will It Cost?
Assisted living is costly and most is paid out of pocket. It can cost thousands of dollars a month. Dementia care costs even more.
Medicare doesn’t cover long term care. Medicare coverage varies depending on the state, but Medicaid requires you to run out of money before you get help.
Make sure to read the fine print of any community that you are interested. Some will offer packages for a fair price, others will offer a base amount with additional services you can get separately.
Ask what circumstances would cause the cost to rise.
4. Can Your Loved One Get Kicked Out?
Yes, that can happen. It is actually one of most common complaints. The most common reasons are lack of payment and that “care needs exceed the facility’s capacity to provide services.”
Again, read the contract carefully. Do not take verbal promises at face value.
Read more here.