HOW TO CHOOSE ASSISTED LIVING HOME

i have been in the business for 13 years and saw many things over the years and there are questions you want to ask when making a decision of where is the best place for the person you love to get the best loving care that is available.

location
caregivers
clean
food
activities
medication
skin
cost

All these topics have questions that should be considered before making your
final decision. Lets discuss each one.

Location: That is very important, but as important as it is, if the location
your looking at does not have good answers for our other topics we are
discussing, then I would continue to keep looking. I can't emphasize that
enough.

Caregivers: How many caregivers are working during the day and at night.
There should be at least 2 caregivers for 10 residents and a third available
for emergencies. How long the caregivers have been at that facility, do
they speak english. Are they kind and loving, or is it just a job to pay the
bills.

Cleanliness: When you walk in to a home it should smell clean, check
bathrooms and bedrooms and if their are depends or diapers laying around
or there not clean, I would keep a mental note. That is not a good sign.
Food: You want to make sure that the food being served is homemade and
not from a box. The soups are from scratch and not a can. Home made
cookies, cakes, and other pastries. Make sure they serve fresh fruit and
salads. When you find a home that puts that much effort into the meals
you know there is love in that home.

Activities: They are very important, When you ask that question.Do You
Have Activities Here? If they say sure come here and look at our activities
calander. Don't get excited just yet, it's mandated by the state to have that
posted. What you really want to hear is Yes we have activities, but
depending on what your loved one enjoys we will make sure that we will
make that apart of our daily routine. For example: Icecream Social
is the activity for today, maybe your loved one is not feeling very social
that day. You want to know they are invited to participate, but if not they
will be accomadated in there room if they want and feel very loved and not
left out.

Medication: Caregivers administer all medications, not the manager.
Don't worry this is very normal. That is not your concern, what is important
is you trust the people giving the medication. And no matter where you
put your loved one that will be a concern until the trust builds. But there
are signs to look for. When you walk into a home and the residents are
happy and alert and not in there room or if there in their room happy
and can talk to you, thats a pretty good sign. A nice relationship can
build.

Skin: Personal care is very important, one of the best ways to tell if a person
is receiving good care is look at there skin. Look at the skin of the other
residents, if moist and supple they are getting good care, if dry and flakey
that is a very bad sign.

Cost: Last on my list but very important. Placing a loved one can be very expensive. Anywhere from 2000.00 per month up to 5000.00 per month. There are good homes to fit every budget. We also have altecs a state funded program for individuals that cant afford that much money.
There are also good homes for that program. That's what I do is find good homes to accomadate all different needs. But there are also some very bad homes. They look pretty and have all the right answers, but when you walk out that door, your loved one does not receive the care you thought they were going to get. It happens all the time.

There are alot of things to consider when placing a love one, we have discussed a few concerns. Contact me, I will help in any way i can at no cost to you. Together we will find the home that works for you, and you can have Peace of Mind.