Waiting = Lack of Options

We help families every day with one of the most important decisions they will ever make.  We help them find the right senior care community to meet their unique needs including assisted living, nursing homes, and Alzheimer’s dementia care.  On the surface, this task may look fairly simple, like searching for an apartment or house.  However, when families wade into this process, most are overwhelmed with what they find.  It is clearly NOT as simple as finding an apartment or house.  Most people have absolutely no idea what they were getting in to.  Many determine that they should have started the search and selection process months ago.  This is why we say that “waiting = lack of options”.  It is very common to find that the best care providers have a waiting list.  It may be 30-60 days, it may be up to 12 months or longer.  So the question is; what if the best place for your mother or father has a waiting list, and you need to move them immediately?  We frequently receive calls from families in this exact situation.  Of course, we can help them.  However, we may not have the benefit of considering some of the places that may be the best option, due to lengthy waiting lists.  Unfortunately, families often settle for lesser options, or choose another facility to provide care and get on the waiting list… waiting for a bed to become available at their 1st choice.  We ALWAYS recommend being proactive if at all possible.  Many times, we develop a geriatric care plan for our clients outlining how to remain independent at home, including triggers that would dictate when to move to a care community.  We also have a thorough discussion of the cost of care, how to pay for care, and how to protect assets if possible.  With this plan of action or “blueprint”, the family is all on the same page and there are very clear instructions to follow as their loved one needs more care.  Many of our clients don’t need a care plan as they will need a care community in the near future and they don’t want to wait until the last minute to choose one.  We recommend being proactive and searching 2-6 months in advance of projected need.  This way, while they have the ability to remain at home, they can consider some of the best places, even if they have a waiting list, and don’t have to choose from lower-performing options.  If waiting equals lack of options, then being proactive equals more options and better options to choose from.  As we always say… know your options, choose with care.