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July 2005 Back to Table of Contents Back to Archives Main Page Section: Being Well What You Expect Isn’t What You Get By Toby Laping, Ph. D., C.S.W., Private Care Manager
People often assume that because the facility calls itself “assisted living,” one can get as much help as is needed. People also often assume that the price they’re originally quoted is the price they’ll pay, regardless of how much help they need. Furthermore, people assume that they can decide how much help they’ll need. None of those assumptions are correct. Be careful. This is a market that is ripe for confusion and expense. “Let the buyer beware” applies, and you’re the buyer. Do your homework. There are places in town that call themselves assisted living, but they offer no hands-on care. They provide one, two or three meals daily and they have an activity program, but that’s about all. Such a living arrangement may be just what’s needed, but it’s important to be sure about that. Typically, these types of places require full payment at a private pay rate. Medicaid does not cover room and board charges. On the other hand, there are places that are assisted living that provide nursing and aide services for residents in addition to room, board, activities and so on, as long as those residents are able to pay for services or are eligible for Medicaid, and are able to transfer and get to the dining room. Again, this is perfect for some people but far too much care for many others. There are also places in town that provide room, board, housekeeping and activities for one rate, and nursing services are available — and even mandatory — for people that these places judge to be in need of such services. If you don’t want to pay for the added nursing care services, you may be judged to be inappropriate for living in the facility. To complicate the situation further, some facilities are licensed and some are not, although the nursing care that’s provided is routinely provided by a licensed agency. The rules are confusing and each place is different. We’ve created a terrible system that doesn’t necessarily provide the services that people often assume they’ll get, and costs are often too amorphous to be understood easily. Read the Consumer Reports article and follow the recommended steps before signing a contract or committing to a housing arrangement that may or may not be best for you. www.wnycaremanager.com back to top back to table of contents Current Issue | About Forever Young | Where to Find | Advertise | Our Advertisers | Community Calendar | Contest | Clubs | Contact Us | Archives | Home |
