Author: Beth Friesen – Oasis Senior Advisors
February 22, 2019
When we sit down with a family to help them navigate the maze of senior housing options for themselves, their parents or a loved one, they are often in crisis. Something has happened to propel them to contact Oasis Senior Advisors. I’m not offended, but no one reaches out to us because they are having a good day. At least not usually.
While we work with this every day, we always strive to remember that this could be the very first glimpse our clients have had into the labyrinth of senior housing. They may wonder what all these crazy acronyms mean?!? ALD’s, ALF, IL, MC, SNF, LOC…. Do places accept Medicaid waiver? Will I need Medicaid waiver eventually or not? Does it matter? And WHAT DO YOU MEAN MEDICARE DOESN’T COVER ANY OF THIS!?!
Indeed, people are often charting new waters when they come to us. This is what I would like them to know:
- You don’t have to know anything about senior living, or you can have a lot of experience with it. It’s okay not to know.
- We will teach you what you need to know, what you need to look for and what questions you need to ask.
- The best care is not always found in the “fanciest” places.
- Long-term care does not always mean a traditional nursing home. Often it simply means that someone needs to have help available 24/7. Some throw the terms around fairly loosely and it is important to define what they mean by “long-term care”.
- It’s expensive. I wish it weren’t so, but generally you get what you pay for.
- Assisted living communities offer varying levels of care. At our office we refer to this as assisted living ‘lite’, ‘regular’ and ‘heavy’. If you move into assisted living ‘lite’, it is probably going to be less expensive. However, as your need increase, you are likely going to have to move again. That is okay, but we do want you to be prepared for that possibility.
- We like to encourage families to see no less than two communities before making a choice. We happily supply a list of questions for you to ask and will come along with you to make sure you get everything answered. Then, go back, have a meal and spend some time in the community to make sure it is going to be the fight fit for you and/or your loved one.
- We utilize proprietary software to ensure that the community matches we provide will meet all your needs. If you are wondering why a specific community isn’t listed, just ask! We are happy to discuss any and all communities with you. If you would like to look at it; even if a specific element that we discussed is lacking, that doesn’t mean we cannot go look!
In all honesty, sometimes we “don’t know what we don’t know”. That’s where Oasis Senior Advisors can make such a difference for you and your loved one. Please reach out to schedule your consultation today. Remember, there is never a charge to access our professional services.
Blessings,
Beth
