Assisted Living Placement Services: How It Can Help Me Find The Right Home For My Loved One
Finding the perfect Assisted Living home for a loved one can not only be a complicated maze to navigate, but it is usually in a time of crisis, where the need is imminent. Assisted living placement services can very well be the answer for you.
When looking for a home to place a loved one, many folks start with an online search, or by asking a friend about someone they trust.
In this article we are going to uncover the best way to approach the situation when looking for the perfect Assisted Living option for your loved one.
We interviewed Cecil Rinker, owner of Old Pueblo Placement Services in Tucson, AZ to give you an insider look on the topic of placement agents.
Cecil is an amazing advocate for seniors, and he has been in the business of helping folks find the perfect living option for their loved one for over 20 years.
What is a placement agent?
In short, a placement agent can be compared to a local real estate agent…but for seniors. They help with the whole process of discovering your needs, wants, budget, and more.
Then they narrow the list down, and take you through the process of touring the homes that are right for you, all the way to helping you with the paperwork needed to transfer your loved one into a community.
Many times, folks start with an online search when looking for the right home to place mom or dad.
These web-based referral programs obtain your information, then send out your information to various providers in the community, who then reach out to you. This can add a ton of stress to an already stressful situation.
Local placement agents are usually the more desirable option when starting the process of looking for the right home to place your loved one.
Local placement agents are very well versed in our industry. After interviewing you and the needs of your loved one, they will be able to give you your best options.
In the State of Arizona, we have three levels of licensure:
- Supervisory Care: Supervisor care is the lowest level of care, and it is really for folks that are looking to downsize in life and want to get rid of the stresses of home ownership. They only require a minimum of 2 activities of daily living (AdL’s).
- Personal Care: This is usually the most common level of care. This is when people need more help with their activities of daily living (ADL’s). This can include: bathing assistance, dressing assistance, medication management, and things that you do daily. This license has a little more to it.
- Directed Care: This level of care is for the folks that are unable to recognize danger, and that would not be able to make a wise decision in a crisis situation. This is a higher level of care, for folks that typically have Dementia, Alzheimers, and that are wander risks.
A local placement agent will be able to guide you in the right direction as to which level of care your loved one needs.
They will gather all the information they need, and give you some great options that can service the level of care that your loved one needs.
Discovering your needs
A good placement agent will not only consult you on your loved ones care needs, but also the social needs of the person as well.
Commute path
For example, keeping the commute path in mind is usually very important. Is the home you end up placing your loved one in the path of your daily commute?
Choosing a community on your commute path might be a very good option, as it would be very important and convenient to visit mom or dad on your way to or from work.
Doctor appointment path
Thinking about Doctors appointments is also very important. Is there a good living option for your loved one that is within the path of their Doctors appointments?
Your placement agents will be a good resource to help you discover the best option for your loved one that is conveniently located within your loved ones Doctors appointment routes.
Local agents will gather all the information they need to give you some great options.
What can I expect from my local Placement Agent?
Working with a local placement agent gives you the opportunity to sit down one on one, face to face with someone who has your best interest in mind.
There are over 1,800 small care homes in Arizona, and your placement agent can help you filter out the fluff and narrow the search down for you; potentially saving you many hours and a ton of stress.
Experienced suggestions
Placement agents have typically worked with many of the care home options in your city, so they have an “insider” look into the experience that your loved one may have by living there, before they even move in. This is very valuable.
What you can expect with working with a local agent is starting with an interview process, so they can distinguish which level of care that your loved one needs. They will discuss your budget, so that they aren’t showing you homes that are our of your budget.
They will make suggestions on different amenities that may be more conducive to your loved one, and different options to stay within your budget.
Help with tours and showings
The other thing they can do for you is take you around and do the tour of the homes with you. They know which questions to ask the home, and what to look for.
Local resource
A local placement agent can also be a very valuable resource to you if you live out of state. They can be seen as “boots on the ground” if you will, and be your set of eyes and ears in town.
Placement agents are a great resource when looking for an assisted living home for your loved one. They usually have a wealth of industry knowledge, and are a great option when navigating a complicated process that you may have never experienced.
Please feel free to comment in the section below if you have any questions about placement agents.
Also please feel free to reach out to Cecil Rinker if you would like to discuss your options. If he cannot help you, he will be sure to point you in the right direction.
