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Yes, my business consists of Senior Living “placement” but honestly, I hate that term. I don’t even use it in our employee titles because we choose to do more than that. We GUIDE people to senior living or provide them with alternative resources because, in all honesty, the cost of senior living is extremely expensive. I hate when I see others “place” people just to earn a $1. I also hate hearing that senior living advisors claim to be able to “help anyone”. That statement is false. Senior living is paid privately. Experienced Senior Living Advisors need to match people accordingly.
How should a Senior Living Advisor help you? Budget is a huge factor but so is safety and culture. I once relocated an individual who was in the wrong environment. She was “placed” in a residential home and has issues with wandering (which by the way, I don’t partner with just any residential home as I am VERY selective for my own reasons, I’ve had good and bad experiences). The home was not secured! The family claimed that the initial placement agency knew that the resident wandered but placed her in the home anyway. I get that it had to do with limited budget but c’mon, you’re putting the resident at risk as well as your partnered community!
Ultimately the options presented to families is their decision and sometimes I need to bite my tongue because although I inform them of why a smaller or larger facility may be more suitable for their loved one and not make a decision based on marble floors and swimming pools that sometimes this is deciding factor and we just smile and go along with it. Assisted Living Facilities come in a variety of sizes. Your loved one may do well in a residential home for multiple reasons or they may enjoy multiple amenities and activities that larger facilities offer.
Senior Living Advisors should not tell people you can help everyone! What does one do when they have a client with literally $550 per month and they are not Skilled Nursing Facility appropriate so going into a Skilled Nursing Facility for Medicaid waiver is not an option? We advise them on that long Medicaid waitlist! We tell them about alternative resources. We offer as much of a solution that we can.
What “licensed” Assisted Living Facility would accept someone at $550 per month? Believe me, if I found Assisted Living Facilities who charge less than $1500 per month I would be able to help many more people! I would definitely be their saving grace! Be cautious when you hear a Senior Living Advisor say they can help everyone. We can’t. Sometimes people don’t want to be helped once they hear their options. Another competitor once told me, I give clients three senior living options but push people to only tour one community and they need to trust them or not work with them at all. I’m sorry but “push” people? Finding senior living is an emotional decision! You don’t “push” people!
Here is what you should expect when working with a senior living advisor. You should have an advocate. You should make sure they consult with you to hear what it is you’re looking for in a community. You should also make sure they understand the senior living industry. You should never feel pushed into moving your loved one into a facility you are not happy with. Senior Living Advisors should also understand the cost of care and factor this in when guiding you to communities. They should also accompany you on tours and guide you towards the next steps until move-in. You should also make sure any community they move you into is licensed by the state in which you live in.
What you should understand is that sometimes budget plays a huge role in your senior living options. As mentioned in other articles that I wrote, the average cost of senior living is $3200 per month not including the cost of care. Newer communities may be more per month and memory care is closer to $5000 per month. If you have less to spend, your Senior Living Advisor will filter Assisted Living Facilities based on your budget and level of care. What’s difficult is when your budget is $1800 per month and your level of care exceeds what a standard licensed facility can accommodate by law.
North Star Senior Advisors, consults with you, conducts a high-level assessment, Assisted Living CORE trained, and are Certified Dementia Practitioners. We take pride in how much work we put into helping families. I’d rather not help a client then move their loved one into an unsafe or unlicensed environment. Our job is to help you find a safe and appropriate home for you or your loved one.
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Share this article on social media!
Yes, my business consists of Senior Living “placement” but honestly, I hate that term. I don’t even use it in our employee titles because we choose to do more than that. We GUIDE people to senior living or provide them with alternative resources because, in all honesty, the cost of senior living is extremely expensive. I hate when I see others “place” people just to earn a $1. I also hate hearing that senior living advisors claim to be able to “help anyone”. That statement is false. Senior living is paid privately. Experienced Senior Living Advisors need to match people accordingly.
How should a Senior Living Advisor help you? Budget is a huge factor but so is safety and culture. I once relocated an individual who was in the wrong environment. She was “placed” in a residential home and has issues with wandering (which by the way, I don’t partner with just any residential home as I am VERY selective for my own reasons, I’ve had good and bad experiences). The home was not secured! The family claimed that the initial placement agency knew that the resident wandered but placed her in the home anyway. I get that it had to do with limited budget but c’mon, you’re putting the resident at risk as well as your partnered community!
Ultimately the options presented to families is their decision and sometimes I need to bite my tongue because although I inform them of why a smaller or larger facility may be more suitable for their loved one and not make a decision based on marble floors and swimming pools that sometimes this is deciding factor and we just smile and go along with it. Assisted Living Facilities come in a variety of sizes. Your loved one may do well in a residential home for multiple reasons or they may enjoy multiple amenities and activities that larger facilities offer.
Senior Living Advisors should not tell people you can help everyone! What does one do when they have a client with literally $550 per month and they are not Skilled Nursing Facility appropriate so going into a Skilled Nursing Facility for Medicaid waiver is not an option? We advise them on that long Medicaid waitlist! We tell them about alternative resources. We offer as much of a solution that we can.
What “licensed” Assisted Living Facility would accept someone at $550 per month? Believe me, if I found Assisted Living Facilities who charge less than $1500 per month I would be able to help many more people! I would definitely be their saving grace! Be cautious when you hear a Senior Living Advisor say they can help everyone. We can’t. Sometimes people don’t want to be helped once they hear their options. Another competitor once told me, I give clients three senior living options but push people to only tour one community and they need to trust them or not work with them at all. I’m sorry but “push” people? Finding senior living is an emotional decision! You don’t “push” people!
Here is what you should expect when working with a senior living advisor. You should have an advocate. You should make sure they consult with you to hear what it is you’re looking for in a community. You should also make sure they understand the senior living industry. You should never feel pushed into moving your loved one into a facility you are not happy with. Senior Living Advisors should also understand the cost of care and factor this in when guiding you to communities. They should also accompany you on tours and guide you towards the next steps until move-in. You should also make sure any community they move you into is licensed by the state in which you live in.
What you should understand is that sometimes budget plays a huge role in your senior living options. As mentioned in other articles that I wrote, the average cost of senior living is $3200 per month not including the cost of care. Newer communities may be more per month and memory care is closer to $5000 per month. If you have less to spend, your Senior Living Advisor will filter Assisted Living Facilities based on your budget and level of care. What’s difficult is when your budget is $1800 per month and your level of care exceeds what a standard licensed facility can accommodate by law.
North Star Senior Advisors, consults with you, conducts a high-level assessment, Assisted Living CORE trained, and are Certified Dementia Practitioners. We take pride in how much work we put into helping families. I’d rather not help a client then move their loved one into an unsafe or unlicensed environment. Our job is to help you find a safe and appropriate home for you or your loved one.
