Group Home vs Large facility for Assisted Living (money, aging, attention)
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Since placing my 101 year old mom in an assisted living run by a management company with homes all over the country (I won't say which one), it has come to my attention that here in AZ we have hundreds and hundreds of elder care group homes, in regular houses, in regular subdivisions. There is a manager and aids who care for the people. I wish i had known , before putting Mom into the facility.
These homes have only 4-6 residents. They have their own bedrooms or share a br with another. They have great meals with the others in the home. They are ALL licensed by the dept of health and you can read the reviews on line.
My mom is lost in the facility now all the time. And she cannot understand the rotation of caregivers there (who does what.) She lives on the second floor and there is ONE elevator. I have asked what happens if there is a fire??? All these residents have walkers or wheelchairs. How would you get them off the 2nd fl.?
I have enlisted a company called "A Place for Mom" to help me locate a more appropriate place for my Mom. Of course the ALF does NOT want to lose her (cause of the money.) but I am viewing 3 of the group homes tomorrow.
Just am curious if other states have this same arrangement? Or is AZ the elder care capital of the nation? Granted, we do have alot of old people here, but are they coming from out of state to live here also? Or do other states take care of their own??
I think most states make provision for small group homes. As with most things, caveat emptor. Some are wonderful. Others are pretty attrocious. It usually hinges on owners who really care vs. those who are only in it for the money. The first thing I'd inquire about is not just the licensing but the patients/clients rights advocate network or long-term care ombudsman program. Do they cover them. How often are the homes inspected. What provisions are made for safe storage and proper distribution for meds. What's the food like. Access to medical care. Transportation availability. Entertainment. Laundry. Personal belongings. The list goes on.
Since placing my 101 year old mom in an assisted living run by a management company with homes all over the country (I won't say which one), it has come to my attention that here in AZ we have hundreds and hundreds of elder care group homes, in regular houses, in regular subdivisions. There is a manager and aids who care for the people. I wish i had known , before putting Mom into the facility.
These homes have only 4-6 residents. They have their own bedrooms or share a br with another. They have great meals with the others in the home. They are ALL licensed by the dept of health and you can read the reviews on line.
My mom is lost in the facility now all the time. And she cannot understand the rotation of caregivers there (who does what.) She lives on the second floor and there is ONE elevator. I have asked what happens if there is a fire??? All these residents have walkers or wheelchairs. How would you get them off the 2nd fl.?
I have enlisted a company called "A Place for Mom" to help me locate a more appropriate place for my Mom. Of course the ALF does NOT want to lose her (cause of the money.) but I am viewing 3 of the group homes tomorrow.
Just am curious if other states have this same arrangement? Or is AZ the elder care capital of the nation? Granted, we do have alot of old people here, but are they coming from out of state to live here also? Or do other states take care of their own??
Barbara,
About 3-4 years ago, I located the same place. (A Place For Mom). The homes in my area were mostly in areas that were not so good - maybe that was because of the zoning, I don't know.
My grandmother had been in one of these group homes as you describe and I was trying to find something like that for my mom. I was not fortunate to find one but I think maybe you might have better luck in AZ.
Let us know how it goes. Your mom at 101 sounds like quite a lady!
Not sure what you mean. If you are elderly and cannot care for yourself anymore, what would you suggest? I don't think putting someone out on the street to fend for themselves is a viable option.
Twenty years ago, in Maryland, my folks put my grandmother into such a home in a neighborhood close to their own. She did quite well there, even got herself a boyfriend (they found him in her room). The people operating it were very kind and caring, and it was much more affordable than institutional care. They kept her as long as they could, but eventually Grandma's functioning declined to the point that she had to move to a nursing home. Most of the group homes (at least in that time and place) did require that residents could feed, bathe and toilet themselves; they were not staffed to do a lot of personal care. She was 96 at the time, so she lived long and well. I imagine, as has been said, that the quality of care in such places can vary greatly, but if you visit and talk to residents and staff, you should get a pretty good idea what they are like.
Last edited by Johanna25; 03-16-2012 at 07:56 PM..
It seems to me that economies of scale would make the large facilities a better deal financially, unless the small group homes are subsidized by some level of government. But I can understand elderly people being more comfortable in a home-like setting (smaller, fewer people to encounter and get to know).
The agent for my long term care insurance told me Arizona has the best group home/assisted living network. Bar none. She said that if I needed that my money would go further and my care would be excellent.
You really have to visit these places first. I tried that option up here (Vermont), and also across the river where my mom was living in New Hampshire. As Curmudgeon pointed out, some of these places are simply atrocious, and I didn't tour one where I would have placed my mother. I also have a friend who is an LNA and worked in several, and she recommended I stick with the traditional nursing home environment, which worked out well because they seem more equipped to deal with the dementia part of it (lots of physical and occupational therapy, social activities, as well as a secure environment.) And of course, you have to tour the nursing homes as well. I took my mom on several of those tours, but with Alzheimer's, she really didn't understand that she would be living in such a place.
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This was 3 years ago but
