Hi. I've been posting over the past few weeks about my LO upset with their current ALF. The most recent source of upset was an unexpected care level increase that he didn't feel was warranted.
This has led us to look for a new ALF for him. It just so happens that we discovered that quite close to us a brand new beautiful ALF is be constructed ready to open in a few months. It really does seem a better situation. It's closer to us, rooms and facilities look beautiful. It has far more amenities - movie theater, pool, spa, a gorgeous dining room on the upper floors. It is also right across the street from a new medical office building where many of his doctors will have offices. It will make doctors visits so much easier for him.
The best part is that the costs are better. He would get a nicer room, and similar level of care for $2000 less per month than his current ALF. Costs are also more predictable. They have just 4 levels of care and even if he needed the highest level of care (that would be a hoyer lift patient), the cost would still be less than his current ALF. They also have a memory care floor if that were ever needed. Even the MC would cost less than his current ALF.
We were so impressed by what we saw, we put a refundable deposit down and picked a room we think my LO would like. The incentives to fill new rooms were great, too. $10,000 off your first 4 month's rent and a generous gift card for making a deposit.
I do have some concerns. One is that this is a new company without a track record I can check. The other is that it is for-profit. My LO is currently at a for-profit, and we've been not happy with a lot of things that went on there.
However, my biggest concern is if my LO will even like or tolerate moving to a new ALF. For someone almost 90, I'm worried they won't be able to tolerate a big change in the way they live. This would be different. In his current ALF, he lives on the first floor and everything he needs is there: dining room, activities, etc. The new place is a high rise and he would need to use the elevator to get around. He is wheelchair bound, so there is some concern there.
Has anyone gone through this experience, where you pick out an ALF you think will work out great for a LO and then as soon as they move in, you find it just won't work for them? The problem here is the $5K non-refundable community fee if they just can't tolerate it and say they want to move out. It seems like a risk. I hope that at some point Covid restrictions get relaxed and allow us to get him there and try it out and inspect the facility and see how he feels about it. He was lukewarm when I described it to him on the phone, but he also does not like his current ALF. A difficult decision all round.
The worry I have with lower cost/new company, AND for profit is where will they cut so as to make this profitable? Sometimes in whom they hire. Or in how many they hire; because their highest cost is in their employees. It was the people hired, both the numbers and their excellence that made my Bro's ALF so good for him. The people were dedicated; a real vocation for them.
You mentioned also that this is more like an apartment building. Where my brother lived there were two main facilities, one like what you describe, the other cottages, on one level, rooms arranged around a communal dining area on one end, living room with TV on the other, and with beautiful grounds where many of the residents spent most of their time just outside the doors, just outside their windows. He spoke with a lot of people in each facility before making his choice. While the facility that was more like an apartment building type had great food and cafeteria, really kind of world class and one man said he and his partner felt like they were on a cruise every day, the checking on them was much less, there was less communal activity, and they said they wouldn't want to be there alone.
As to new management? My brother's ALF had been taken over by a new group. They were absolutely great. But there were few ways to predict that would be the case. In any place it is so much about management.
Wishing you good luck, remembering there is nothing perfect.
I do believe, in so far as you are able, be certain that the elder, after all the one moving, is on board for this move. You do have to manage finances for life care, I understand.
So ask lots of questions, preferably in writing and make them respond in writing.
If your uncle doesn't sound very interested, please listen to that. He will find a reason to be unhappy with the place if he isn't excited about moving into it to begin with.
I can't help but feel like he is just complaining about his current situation and having you do these exercises as something to entertain him. He needs to participate in the move, he is able to make calls and get information, make him do this to see if he is really interested in moving. Otherwise you are just wasting your time and he will find a reason to say no to all of your choices.
He is blessed to have you, you just be sure that you take care of you during this difficult time.
So, with regard to Medicaid, that is highly dependent on the state that you live in. We live in PA and in PA Medicaid never pays for AL. It only pays for long term stays in nursing homes. So, here is the problem. There are a number of communities that have the full continuum of care - AL, MC and nursing home. But most of those are pretty expensive and are private pay only - meaning they don't accept Medicaid ever for their nursing beds.
Now, most of the standalone nursing homes in the area do accept Medicaid. So, we are sort of in a difficult spot. We have to prepare our own transition plan to go from AL to nursing care when he runs out of money and needs Medicaid. It's a difficult situation. See, most of my LO money was put into Medicaid complaint trusts over 5 years ago so he could qualify for a Medicaid bed at a nursing home. The problem is that he's running low on his personal funds and doesn't need nursing care yet. So, we are sort of in a difficult situation. We can tap money in the trust for AL care, but then we are sort of defeating the purpose of the trust.
It can be a treasure house for corporate information, but also depends on the state. I used to be able to get a lot of info from the state of Michigan, but the Internet has introduced an opportunity to charge for all this information, so it costs to get data.
You can then check out the offices of the company individually, but w/I limits. With the extensive data collection online, you might find out what these people did before opening this facility. If you can't get any information on anyone, try to back trace by using Google to see if you can locate the addresses they use.
I did this when I needed contractors, and found that one who claimed to be a reliable contractor had an "office" in a large vacant lot! Another had a real dump, surrounded by grass growing at least knee high, junk in the yard, ratty looking office. Obviously, neither of those passed the initial selection process.
The goal is to get as much background information as you can on the principals, so you can get an idea what they've done before, whether they're legit (or working out of their garage), etc.
I haven't done this in awhile but you can also check with the state department which requires filing of UCC-1s, a security document for the equipment, etc. which typically is collateral for a loan. You might at least be able to get an idea how extensively indebted the company is, and with which lender. If it's the corner Joe Blow (no offense to Joe's), and not a major bank or recognized lender, time to start becoming nervous.
You also can ask the principals what their experiences and backgrounds are. For an unknown entity, I think they should be willing to provide that information.
I honestly don't know what general amounts are for non-refundable community fees. There was a post with a similar question in the last several months, if I remember correctly, and will search for it later.
You could contact similar organizations in your area to get an idea what they fees are. $5k seems inordinately high to me. And if the staff, support and service are bad, it's a method of scalping the residents and/or their families.
Turnover of staff and residents is another issue to explore.
The goal is to get as much information on the incorporators, their track record, if any, possible.
Hope this helps.
How fast will they increase the rates across the board? You may end up spending just what you are spending now if not more as his level of care increases.
You do not mention what problems this person has other than he is in a wheelchair. If there is dementia involved finding his way around a high rise might be difficult, and may be anyway for someone used to living where everything is contained on one floor. Would he have help to be escorted to the dining room? to the theater? other activities? Or would he be left to navigate on his own?
You can check the Medicare website and search other communities that this company runs, owns or is otherwise involved in. The BBB might also be a good resource as well. The State Ombudsman or State Health Department might also offer insight. While they may not be able to tell you if a place is good or not they might be able to tell you if there are any past complaints and if the company resolves issues
It is difficult to follow what a person is trying to say. Examples. LTC, LO ALF, MC.