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
[email protected] 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.
*If I am consenting on behalf of someone else, I have the proper authorization to do so. By clicking Get My Results, you agree to our
Privacy Policy. You also consent to receive calls and texts, which may be autodialed, from us and our customer communities. Your consent is not a condition to using our service. Please visit our
Terms of Use. for information about our privacy practices.
In my experience Assisted Living directors hunt family down when fees are due or care levels need to be increased.
So for you to get involved is not appropriate until you have discussed your concerns with management.
AL’s have attorneys in place and will take action if they feel the client needs more care and the family can’t be reached after a reasonable amount of time. They will apply for guardianship legally if need be. AL are not going to place themselves in a vulnerable position or one that may cause them costly liability.
If your supervisors don’t give you a reasonable response and the care of that senior is compromised then it’s your duty to call APS.
I’m not sure why you think you would be privy to everyone’s family information. I also feel you shouldn’t judge anyone (the daughter for just dropping off stuff & leaving). Family dynamics are complicated.
Report it it to your supervisors first& document everything in a notebook so you can easily refer to specific dates and examples.
Thank you for caring & the job you do.
I agree, the Adminstrator should be calling APS. He should be able to contact the POA. Usually that person handles the financial and medical. He can call APS and tell them there is a vulnerable resident. That family has seemed to just dropped her off. That ur facility does not deal with pharmacies so meds are not given in a timely manner. That in an emergency family members cannot be contacted. The best thing that could happen is the State gets guardianship. They will take over her finances. Maybe ask for an accting from the POA. If found she has been stolen from, the State can bring charges.
This is a problem because they are not providing her medication in a timely manner, some medications are dangerous to miss doses. That they are not responding to emergency calls is another problem. I know from personal experience that my dad might not receive proper care if I didn't authorize him being sent to the hospital, it was part of the contract.
I believe that you are responsible to say something if you see something. Getting the authorities involved to get this woman the care she needs may be the only way to get her family to respond. If they don't fulfill their POA fudiciary responsibilities it may be time for the state to step in.
Good for you that you care enough to do something to help this woman that has been abandoned by her family.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being more than a paid aide. Hugs!
To those saying it's the 'facility's' fault, what fault is it, exactly? What's being neglected? She's being cared for, it sounds like, to the best of the ALs ability, w/o any help from the family. So I don't know that there's more they CAN do. Mail should be sent directly to the resident at the AL facility, that is the norm.
It seems to me that you should follow the direction of your supervisor; if she feels APS should be called, then that's what should be done. Is it up to YOU to do that? You'd have to ask your supervisor about that directly. What does policy dictate in such a situation?
In this line of work, your heartstrings are going to be continually tugged at. While it's great to care and to feel compassion for your residents, it's never a good idea to internalize TOO much of their life's misery. Leave the job at the job when you clock out so you can refresh yourself and come back to do a wonderful job for the residents again tomorrow.
Bravo to you for caring, my friend. You rock!
Being POA is a fudiciary responsibility and it does have legal consequences when they are just ignored. It is not just about sending the rent check. I recommend that everyone should visit their attorney generals website and read what exactly the responsibilities are when accepting a designation as POA.
You are accepting that you will always act in the best interests of the person, this family is obviously failing in that.
What does your supervisor say?
You are not privy to discussions that director of others have had with the family. Having a very small amount of cash is not unusual as elderly often tend to give it away.
But if there is a wide spread problem with the facility then start by calling the licensing agency. Have your ducks in a row, document, document, document. Is this a whistle blowing situation?
Your role is to keep documenting and reporting day to day problems such as medications running out, personal items she needs and can't buy for herself, and difficulties contacting the family in emergencies. It can get frustrating, but just make sure it gets done so that this lady's records are accurate and complete; and then if there is any future dispute about responsibility the facts will be down in black and white.
I'm just glad that this lady is in the hands of caregivers who actually do care about her. What you're doing for her is important, so don't get downcast because you can't solve everything else for her.
Ive been blessed with a great care team. We all care so much, even about the residents who have kicked us or called us names. We don't get into this work for the money or glory, I'll tell you what. It's for the residents.