I have a relative in a continuing care/life plan community, with a monthly fee around $5K. She is having a standoff with the management who want her to move from Independent to Assisted and give up her pet, as they don't allow pets in AL. She may well decide to leave the CCRC over this. I want to get my facts straight: I think she will have no more power over her situation in a new AL, maybe even less, because a new place can decide at any time that she needs more care, raise her fees, or determine she can't take adequate care of her pet, and again the only choice will be to comply or move. Plus, once the AL determines you've deteriorated beyond their standards, you have to move again to nursing care (if the new AL doesn't offer that). Am I right? This person is in terrible shape physically but does not recognize her limitations. Any other arguments for staying in the CCRC that I've overlooked?
Some CCRC have very restrictive terms and if you choose voluntarily to leave, you leave the buy in $ behind.
Is it possible to find a surrogate pet owner who would bring her pet for visits?
It is a terrible loss to lose a well loved pet.
I am sorry she has come to this stage in life. I had to manage a pet fading into the background for my DH aunt.
She may grieve its loss which would be appropriate.
As Jo Ann and Alva said below -- it's a safety question, that's what the management said, and rightly so. They gave her the "move up or move out" ultimatum today. The AL there is SO nice, spacious, etc. -- not to mention guaranteed care for life! -- that it would be a shame for her to move out, but at this point it's her choice and I am tired of trying to be the voice of reason.
Then her facility is absolutely correct in their assessment and in requiring her to be in safe care.
She can move or she can comply, and this really isn't in your control. I am surprised this facility is allowing her to go into AL if she has so many needs, quite honestly. But it is worth a try.
There is not always an answer that is a happy or perfect answer. End of life is full of problems and sometimes there are situations in which there is no good choice, no happy choice. As you are not her POA there is very little you can do here but allow her to make her decisions, if she is still able, for herself.
If she does have a PoA then this person needs to read the document to see what activates their authority to make decisions in her best interests.