Dad’s senior living journey - seeking information
Posted on November 24, 2007 in Senior living journey by DM
With my dad still in the hospital, and understanding that this has been another “episode” in his ongoing battle with liver disease (which will only progress), my brother and I have been talking about suggesting to Dad that he move to an assisted living facility. This is obviously a major life change, and we are unfortunately approaching it with absolutely no information whatsoever about how the process works - how care is paid for, how “free to roam” a resident is once they live in the facility, etc. (If you have any basic information you could share, please comment below - I’d love to hear from you.)
We’ve also learned our first lesson: there’s no information to be had on the weekends. No open offices, no tours, nothing outside the normal Monday-Friday, 8-5 business hours. And very, very few facility websites with any kind of practical information at all beyond the pastoral photos and comforting (but very general) copy.
And so my first bit of constructive criticism for the senior living industry is this: you need to be available to concerned families when they are actively seeking information. This means being available on weekends for informational appointments and even facility tours; and it means being more comprehensive in the information that’s provided on your websites - if you even have one.
Ideally, I would like for my brother and I to be able to gather enough information to have an initial conversation with Dad, answer his most basic questions, and then take him on a tour so he can see first-hand that assisted living doesn’t mean living in a nursing home, which is something I know he fears. I would have liked to have had that information before he leaves the hospital, but since no one we called offers weekend tours and since he’ll likely go home on Sunday, it looks like we won’t have that opportunity.
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3 comments to “Dad’s senior living journey - seeking information”
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Hello
I get articles and blogs from google that have anything about “Assisted Living” in it. I dont have any communitites in Iowa and I’m sorry about your experience… but here are a few places to start your search. alfa.org, should help you get started, it also has a “how to research a community” section that is quite helpful. If you would like other resources we have some too. Just let me know if that would be helpful.
Good Luck! I know this is a challenging process.
I concur with Janelle in wishing you the best of luck.
Now that the week has begun, you might want to check with the state’s department of elder affairs. According to the latest edition of the phone book, there is a special phone number for a long-term care ombumdsman program advocate for care facility residents. If not now, then that office might be helpful when your father moves to an assisted-living facility. Magazines such as Consumers Reports will from time to time have articles on selecting an assisted living facility. If you have a few assisted living facilities in mind, check them out with such agencies as the Better Business Bureau (which might also have information about selecting such a facility online; otherwise give the local office a call. It wouldn’t hurt.) And there are probably books and magazines at the local library which can be of help as well.
This is not meant to be strict advice, nor is it meant to be legal counsel or anything on that line. I am only giving you some ideas as to how to get started. I hope things go well for you and your family.
Janelle and Joel, many thanks for your helpful comments and guidance. We learned this week that the Aging Resources of Central Iowa may also be of help, so we will be contacting them for info as well. More to come! ~ Janet