The Truth About Assisted Living

The July 2005 issue of Consumer Reports contains an informative article entitled Assisted Living — How Much Assistance Can You Really Count On?

Here are the key findings:

• Most facilities are operated by small private companies that don’t provide information–including data on their financial strength–needed to make a decision.
• Neither size, décor, nor amenities necessarily determines the quality of care or assistance available at a facility.
• There is no standard for care that should be provided and no clear guideline to indicate who belongs in assisted living and who doesn’t. 
• The nearly 1 million people who now live in assisted-living residences have become frailer, raising concerns about their safety and care.
• States regulate assisted living but provide little oversight or protection for residents.

The article also contains a list of the 12 steps a person should follow to locate a suitable assisted living facility:

1. Create a list of possibilities.
2. Call your state’s long-term-care ombudsman.
3. Meet with a geriatric-care manager.
4. Tour the top four or five choices.
5. Request the documents you need to help you make a decision.
6. Talk to the residents
7. Observe what people are doing.
8. Ask to meet with the administrator.
9. Study the staff.
10. Visit unannounced.
11. If you are shopping for a relative, bring him or her on your visits.
12. Monitor the care.