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.
2. What are your levels of care? Usually they are levels I-IV or I-V. What constitutes these levels?
3. Do you work with MD groups/ do you have visiting doctors or medical checks such as blood pressure?
4. If I have appointments what transportation do you provide. Must my medical appointments occur on certain days?
5. What activities do you have. Are there extra charges for any of these activities?
6. Do you allow people with advanced dementia to remain in ALF or is there a MC facility that cares for them?
7. Do you have monthly or periodic meetings in which residents can voice any complaints. If there are complaints, how and to whom do we report?
8. How do meal plans work here? Do we choose menus? If we would rather have a salad or sandwich at a meal can we request such a thing?
9. What is your system for fee increases? What is the average yearly increase in the last five years? Under what circumstances are our levels of care changes?
10. How do your care plans work? For instance, if I don't wish people entering my own room can I ask that they not do so without knocking?
11. Do you have a media concierge who can help me with setup of my laptop, media, TV service; is internet provided?
12. Can you provide me with a tour of the cottages/rooms/choices? What is the cleaning of rooms schedule like? Is my laundry done? Are animals allowed?
Be sure to list any pre-existing problems of yours regarding allergies, mobility, dietary needs and etc and make certain these can be accommodated.
Just a few ideas.
Look online for "What to ask your Assisted Living Facility. You will find suggestions. Be certtain you know what's important for you. For instance my bro had one place with EXCELLENT food and another with beautiful grounds to wander. He chose the later because it was what was important to him. Look online at the facility and see what they offer. For instance, my brother's place had a Facebook page that showed a lot of activities.
something I’d like to add is:
- How is the morning “check in” done? Some have it such that every morning aide makes rounds and enters each residents room or suite while others have it that the resident has to place a door hanger outside their room by a set time OTHERWISE staff will enter the room.
If mom has been living on her own for years, having someone come in can be quite an adjustment.
- Is there an additional fee for doing in room meals? Most do and it can add up.
1. What is the staff to resident ratio?
2. What types of medical services are available on site?
3. How are care plans developed and updated?
4. How do you handle emergencies and what is the response time?
5. What is your policy on medication management?
6. How do you accommodate residents with specific dietary needs?
7. What kind of activities and social programs do you offer?
8. How do you handle end of life care or residents with declining health?
9. What qualifications and certifications do the staff members hold?
10. How often do staff receive training and what topics are covered?
11. How do you ensure that staff stay updated on best practices in elder care?
12. What measures are in place to ensure the safety and security of residents?
13. Can you describe a typical day for a resident?
14. How do you handle conflicts between residents or between residents and staff?
15. What is your policy on visitors and family involvement in care?
16. What is included in the monthly fee, and what services are extra?
17. How do you handle rate increases?
18. What is the process for transitioning to a higher level of care if needed?
19. What is your policy on refunds if a resident needs to leave the facility?
20. Can you provide references from current residents or their families?
21. How do you gather and address feedback from residents and their families?
22. What is your policy on resident satisfaction and handling complaints?
23. How do you accommodate residents with dementia or other cognitive impairments?
24. How is privacy respected in shared living spaces?
25. Are pets allowed in the facility, and what are the rules regarding them?
26. What is your policy on transitioning residents out of the facility if their care needs change?
28. Does your facility participate in Medicaid and are you part of any waiver programs?
27. What happens if a resident’s funds run out and they need to transition to Medicaid?
Note:
Not all assisted living facilities accept Medicaid, even if Medicaid in that state covers assisted living. It’s important to check with specific facilities to see if they participate in Medicaid and whether they are part of any waiver programs.
These questions should help you get a comprehensive understanding of the facility and ensure it aligns with your loved one’s needs.
Key problems that we encountered are a follows:
1. It often took a very long time for the staff to respond to a call button. Find out if the facility keeps metrics on how long it takes to respond, and whether they have a way to prioritize who gets helped next.
2. The dining room didn't have enough tables and chairs, and my parents had wait for people to leave before they could eat their meals. The staff would tell them to wait, but sometimes they forgot to come back for them. Make sure that there is enough seating for everyone to eat at the same scheduled time.
3. Meals were available in the rooms for an upcharge, but they arrived much later in the evening, and meal components (such as dessert or salad) were sometimes missing. If your loved one will be eating in their room, find out how much extra it will cost and when the meals will be served.
4. The room was not truly ADA accessible. It had ADA features, such as the showers and vanities, but the rooms themselves were too small to be functional for a wheel-chair-bound resident. If this is a concern for your loved one, know the standards before hand, and verify the rooms are legally compliant.
5. Care plan regarding ADLs was not followed. Showers were not provided on a consistent schedule. My parents would grow anxious waiting hours for someone to show up to bathe and dress them so they could on with their day. Ask about frequency and time of day for showers.
6. Housekeeping was not performed on the designated weekly schedule.
7. Staff turnover was high. Find out how long key members of the management team have been at the facility - director, marketing director, nursing director, housekeeping and operations. Our facility had new people in four of these roles.
I know this sounds like a lot, and I feel that we were very reasonable and made good faith effort to resolve our issues. We met with the care team on multiple occasions, but at the end of the day, the problem were not fixed, so we had to move them out.
Remember that things change. I originally toured the facility almost a year before we moved my parents in, and there were some changes that occurred in the interim.
Know that no matter how many questions you ask, you are likely talking to a marketing person whose job is to sell you a room. Period. If it feels like they are waffling on a question, they probably are, so trust your feelings.
2. Make sure the visiting hours are sufficient. You'll want to see what goes on at night.
3. Do not "join" a continuing care retirement community and get locked into a particular facility (I hate that word.) Only get into a standard rental situation.
4. Make sure an RN is on duty 24/7.
5. Check out the activities.
6. Make sure there is WiFi (for a phone, computer, Echo, or other WiFi devices) or that you can put in your own WiFi.
7. Ask to try out the food.
8. Is it clean.
9. See all the great questions other people have suggested. :-)
Staffing Questions
What is the daytime caregiver to resident ratio on weekdays?
Weeknights?
Weekends?
Is there a nurse in the building 24/7?
How many times a day will someone check in on my Mom?
Is her physician allowed to come to her apartment?
Medical Questions
What will happen if my Mom is ill?
What will happen if my Mom has a fall?
Will you contact me if you notice that my Mom is not doing well or is ill?
When and how will that contact be made?
Dining Questions
Do you have all day dining or set meal times?
What if my Mom doesn’t come down for a meal?
What if she is reluctant to go to the dining room?
What if she isn’t eating well?
Do you have a copy of the menu I can have?
Can she get food delivered via Doordash-like service?
Housekeeping Questions
How often is the housekeeping done?
What if she spills something or needs additional help and it's not his housekeeping day?
How often is trash taken out?
Do you provide toilet paper, tissues, etc?
Assimilation Questions
Who should I call if I notice that my Mom is struggling or unhappy?
How do you help residents participate and feel welcome?
Medical Appointments
How will you help residents with doctor appointments?
Will you provide transportation?
Will someone accompany her or should I plan to be there?
Activities
How often is transportation for things like shopping trips available?
What kind of activities can she participate in?
How do you help residents participate and feel welcome?
Excursions? Trips?
Can I have a copy of the activity calendar?
Are we allowed to take her on an extended trip, such as a vacation spot?
What are visiting hours? Can we visit any time?
Services
What are the ala carte services? Costs?
Can she get her own Internet?
Safety
Evacuation plans and policies?
What are your Covid policies?
What is your security like?
Things to observe:
How are the staff and residents interacting?
Do they seem to know the resident?
Do the staff seem happy?
Are they inviting and warm?
Is the community clean?
Is everything accessible to your loved one?
Can they easily get to the dining area, activities area?
Does it feel like a place your loved one would enjoy being?
I would add:
1) When you first walk in, take a big breath in through your nose, and evaluate whether you smell urine or cleanliness.
2) observe how other residents are treated while you are there in person.
3) if you can, try to show up unexpectedly and observe any daily goings-on.
Get everything in writing.
Get copies of EVERYTHING you sign.
Meals: Costs Visitor/Guest Costs
What are their legal responsibilities should another level of care be needed and not available at your facility?
Read contract(s) carefully.
When do they notify you/family member (when alerted to medical or otherwise, need)
What is procedure if a person falls? (Most will not move/lift a resident. They call 911).
What is the staff ratio - how often do they check in on resident (if at all):
- Day time
- Socializing / events
- Night / sleep time
How often have your fees been increased over the last 10 years, i.e., is it yearly? What is the percentage of raising fees?
Get a list of 'extra' service fee costs 'add ons' - (i.e., help getting dressed in a.m., help getting undressed in p.m.
Do they assist with accidents (changing) ?
What services do they NOT offer that would / might require us (resident/family) to hire a caregiver? (From my experience working in this field, most/some residents in AL do employ caregivers).
Gena / Touch Matters
Are nutritious meals and snacks served and/or are there access to healthy foods?
How does your discharge planning operate?
See All Answers