Originally published in American City Business Journals
By Patrick McCormick
There’s about to be a boom of aging Baby Boomers.
By 2030, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that one in five Americans will be age 65 or older. By 2021, populations age 75 and older are expected to increase by a combined 14.5 percent.
In fact, right now, you might be starting to think about when your mom or dad might be moving into an assisted-living facility, and all the questions that come with that decision.
As supply and demand spike in the coming years, you’ll see a multitude of options for your parents, ranging from resort-like, all-inclusive settings to facilities that feel more like medical institutions. It can quickly become overwhelming and confusing. Where do you start?
You start by asking the right questions.
These are the questions that no one told you to ask but will set you up for long-term stability as you begin the process of selecting the right facility for your loved ones.
1. Can I see my mom’s room?
Game rooms, movie nights, daily outings — It sounds like mom (yes, assisted-living populations skew more female since women generally outlive men) is going to be having the time of her life in her new home. But while all of these community amenities are nice, the truth is that assisted-living residents spend nearly 70 percent of their time inside their own rooms.
Room amenities are typically much more important than community amenities. With so much time spent inside their own rooms, it’s critical the right features for mom or dad are present. Spending time inside the actual room where your parent will be staying, or one exactly like it, is the only way to know for sure their needs will be met.
Practical considerations can easily be forgotten after seeing an amazing therapy pool, but considerations like closet size, number of bedrooms, available appliances and storage are going to be more useful in the long run. Some rooms might not even have drawers in the kitchen — and you’d never know unless you saw for yourself.
2. Can we eat lunch?
When touring an assisted-living facility, plan on eating at least one meal on-site. This not only gives you a chance to assess the food quality, but also gauge the overall culture.
Take note of how the staff interacts with residents. Are they smiling and warm, or disconnected? Also look at how residents are interacting with one another and whether there’s a mix of ages and medical needs. Are there people in wheelchairs? How are their needs being met at mealtime?
If most of the people aren’t ambulatory and your loved one is, then maybe this isn’t the place for them. Or vice versa.
All of these nuances will give you a sense of the culture of the facility as well as whether it will be well prepared to manage your parent’s needs as they age. Mealtime can be the perfect moment to gain critical insights since everyone comes out of their room to eat together.
3. What happens when there’s a medical issue or event?
If the answer is that they simply call 911, that might be a red flag.
While 911 should certainly be called in case of an emergency, most issues that come up can be solved other ways. For example, if there’s a change in behavior like sleeping or eating less, a simple call to the doctor might be all that’s needed. Unnecessary hospital visits are costly and traumatic.
The best facilities look to build a relationship with your family’s physicians and engage in their medical care actively.
4. Are you prepared for my mom’s aging?
Right now, mom is able to move freely, remembers her medications and is generally independent. What about in three to five years?
Chances are her needs are going to change significantly as she ages, and you don’t want to go through another big move once you’ve selected an assisted-living facility.
Think about if or when your parent might need a wheelchair. Are the bedroom doors wide enough? Is the bathroom accessible?
This is also where it’s important to find out if there’s a good mix of ages and medical needs in the facility. If so, it shows that they’re set up to handle a variety of issues and are well-prepared to handle medical or lifestyle changes as they arise.
5. How much have prices gone up in the last two years?
Most people only look at base-rent prices when considering the cost of assisted living, but this is only a small portion of the overall expense.
Take a look at how prices have gone up in the last few years to gain a realistic expectation of financial needs as mom ages. It’s also common for facilities to offer care packages on top of base rent. These will be important as mom gets older and may require additional care. More care costs more money, and anticipating added cost in the future will save you headaches down the road.
This is also a good time to ask about what happens if mom runs out of money. Do they have any kind of financial aid available? You’ll want all your financial questions answered up front so you’re not scrambling if or when it becomes an issue.
Picking the right facility
Asking these questions will go a long way toward finding the perfect place for your parents to enjoy an independent retirement with the additional security of provided services when they need them.
Every person is different, and people’s needs and wants will vary. Remember to consider the unique needs of your parent as you conduct your search, and never be afraid to ask what’s on your mind.
Patrick McCormick is a partner in Plante Moran’s senior care and living practice, located in the company’s Cleveland office. He has been immersed in the health care industry focusing on senior living for 25 years, working with assisted living facilities, independent living facilities, continuing care retirement centers and nursing homes to provide financial feasibility, operational due diligence, strategic planning, operational reviews, and Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement services.