WaPo- A Place for Mom referrals ignore neglect

[Anonymous]

“It calls itself the nation’s leading ‘trusted advisory service,’ but in reality A Place for Mom is a referral service that is paid large fees by assisted-living facilities and does not independently assess their records. More than a third of its most highly recommended facilities in 28 states were cited for neglect or substandard care in the past two years, many of them repeatedly, according to a Washington Post review of inspection reports.”

https://wapo.st/4bCKGBE

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“It calls itself the nation’s leading ‘trusted advisory service,’ but in reality A Place for Mom is a referral service that is paid large fees by assisted-living facilities and does not independently assess their records. More than a third of its most highly recommended facilities in 28 states were cited for neglect or substandard care in the past two years, many of them repeatedly, according to a Washington Post review of inspection reports.”

https://wapo.st/4bCKGBE

I worked for NGOs for years, so I'm all about "how does this org/group/business pay its staff and bills?" Always amazed when folks don't do same. Neglect/substandard care aside, I understand they hound folks who make an inquiry, even if the families never really use the "service," to get their cut.

[Anonymous]

Try “Owl Be There” instead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Try “Owl Be There” instead.

They are equally sketchy and get paid from assisted living marketing budgets

[Anonymous]

I called Arlington County Department of Aging recently for a parent and they referred me to an external agency that recommends small home assisted living. That's all they do is try to find people to refer to this type of facility. I was shocked at how unprepared the county is in supporting older residents. I can't believe that there are no resources dedicated to helping older adults and their families find good and safe care.

[Anonymous]

You have to do the research yourself and nothing replaces a visit and tour. Have a meal there if possible.

[Anonymous]

I recently called and assumed they would suggest the handful of places in my area. I was surprised when they didn’t even mention those in my immediate area and instead suggested places all over my county and neighboring counties.

My takeaway is they are paid to promote certain programs.

[Anonymous]

Why am I not surprised?

[Anonymous]

What other options are there available to assist folks looking for places for their elderly parents? I don't have the time or energy (I have my own medical issues) to do the research myself but my aging parent needs to find a place soon - they can no longer live in their own home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What other options are there available to assist folks looking for places for their elderly parents? I don't have the time or energy (I have my own medical issues) to do the research myself but my aging parent needs to find a place soon - they can no longer live in their own home.

I don't have any short cuts. I would suggest that you start with knowing your parent's budget - not the most that they can afford right now, but allowing for a cushion over time. Our parents had very little money so the site needed to take Medicaid at some point during the stay.

Then see what nonprofits are in the area. I only had to do this in one small city, but the nonprofits were far better than the corporations. The staff at the latter can be very kind, but they are overworked, underpaid, and often stressed by the lack of supplies (yes, they don't supply enough adult nappies - can you imagine!). Also consider what will be the most convenient for you if you live locally. I picked a spot for our dad because it was very close to our mom and she could drive there easily, including in the winter. For our mom, I picked the nonprofit as it is the best in the area and kinda on the way home from work for our brother - the best of all the options.

Again, alas, there are no short cuts. Please do not use a referral agency. Their only interest is their pocket book.

Finally, see if the county has a senior agency based in the community. They were also helpful when we were looking. They didn't give the exact spot, but they provided lists and listened. Sometimes that's the best you can get, but still worth it.

GL!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What other options are there available to assist folks looking for places for their elderly parents? I don't have the time or energy (I have my own medical issues) to do the research myself but my aging parent needs to find a place soon - they can no longer live in their own home.

I don't have any short cuts. I would suggest that you start with knowing your parent's budget - not the most that they can afford right now, but allowing for a cushion over time. Our parents had very little money so the site needed to take Medicaid at some point during the stay.

Then see what nonprofits are in the area. I only had to do this in one small city, but the nonprofits were far better than the corporations. The staff at the latter can be very kind, but they are overworked, underpaid, and often stressed by the lack of supplies (yes, they don't supply enough adult nappies - can you imagine!). Also consider what will be the most convenient for you if you live locally. I picked a spot for our dad because it was very close to our mom and she could drive there easily, including in the winter. For our mom, I picked the nonprofit as it is the best in the area and kinda on the way home from work for our brother - the best of all the options.

Again, alas, there are no short cuts. Please do not use a referral agency. Their only interest is their pocket book.

Finally, see if the county has a senior agency based in the community. They were also helpful when we were looking. They didn't give the exact spot, but they provided lists and listened. Sometimes that's the best you can get, but still worth it.

GL!

At a point where I am feeling overwhelmed in all aspects of my life, hearing that this requires more of my time and energy is draining me. But I guess with all decisions in life, we know what we need/want the best. I was really hoping that a referral agency could help with narrowing things done.

[Anonymous]

This is so depressing. At some point we will likely be looking for a place for us. I mean, if we are late 80s I can't imagine maintaining our house and such.
Are there fiduciary type people we can pay to research options? We won't be on Medicaid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What other options are there available to assist folks looking for places for their elderly parents? I don't have the time or energy (I have my own medical issues) to do the research myself but my aging parent needs to find a place soon - they can no longer live in their own home.

I don't have any short cuts. I would suggest that you start with knowing your parent's budget - not the most that they can afford right now, but allowing for a cushion over time. Our parents had very little money so the site needed to take Medicaid at some point during the stay.

Then see what nonprofits are in the area. I only had to do this in one small city, but the nonprofits were far better than the corporations. The staff at the latter can be very kind, but they are overworked, underpaid, and often stressed by the lack of supplies (yes, they don't supply enough adult nappies - can you imagine!). Also consider what will be the most convenient for you if you live locally. I picked a spot for our dad because it was very close to our mom and she could drive there easily, including in the winter. For our mom, I picked the nonprofit as it is the best in the area and kinda on the way home from work for our brother - the best of all the options.

Again, alas, there are no short cuts. Please do not use a referral agency. Their only interest is their pocket book.

Finally, see if the county has a senior agency based in the community. They were also helpful when we were looking. They didn't give the exact spot, but they provided lists and listened. Sometimes that's the best you can get, but still worth it.

GL!

At a point where I am feeling overwhelmed in all aspects of my life, hearing that this requires more of my time and energy is draining me. But I guess with all decisions in life, we know what we need/want the best. I was really hoping that a referral agency could help with narrowing things done.

Well, they will, but perhaps not in the way that you realize you want and/or is is best for your parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What other options are there available to assist folks looking for places for their elderly parents? I don't have the time or energy (I have my own medical issues) to do the research myself but my aging parent needs to find a place soon - they can no longer live in their own home.

I don't have any short cuts. I would suggest that you start with knowing your parent's budget - not the most that they can afford right now, but allowing for a cushion over time. Our parents had very little money so the site needed to take Medicaid at some point during the stay.

Then see what nonprofits are in the area. I only had to do this in one small city, but the nonprofits were far better than the corporations. The staff at the latter can be very kind, but they are overworked, underpaid, and often stressed by the lack of supplies (yes, they don't supply enough adult nappies - can you imagine!). Also consider what will be the most convenient for you if you live locally. I picked a spot for our dad because it was very close to our mom and she could drive there easily, including in the winter. For our mom, I picked the nonprofit as it is the best in the area and kinda on the way home from work for our brother - the best of all the options.

Again, alas, there are no short cuts. Please do not use a referral agency. Their only interest is their pocket book.

Finally, see if the county has a senior agency based in the community. They were also helpful when we were looking. They didn't give the exact spot, but they provided lists and listened. Sometimes that's the best you can get, but still worth it.

GL!

At a point where I am feeling overwhelmed in all aspects of my life, hearing that this requires more of my time and energy is draining me. But I guess with all decisions in life, we know what we need/want the best. I was really hoping that a referral agency could help with narrowing things done.

Well, they will, but perhaps not in the way that you realize you want and/or is is best for your parent.

Exactly. They want the fee so they are going to find a place to pay their fee, not necessarily the fit for your parent.