We recently had the pleasure of speaking to our Senior Living Placement Specialist, Connie Pizarro, about her experience helping a client transition into an assisted living community. Moving into an assisted living community is a big change, especially for seniors who may not have family members to help. Here’s how Connie aids in the transition and helps seniors find the right place to spend their golden years.
Problem
The typical pathway for a senior entering an assisted living community is meeting with their adult children and then touring various communities. This wasn’t the case for one elderly gentleman, John*, who didn’t have a family to help him in this process. After being discharged from the hospital, John was taken to a subacute facility for rehabilitation. After his stay, John could not return to his solo living situation and therefore he needed an assisted living community. Since John didn’t have the family nor the mobility to tour a facility, it was up to our specialist to figure out a solution that would result in a seamless transition.
Steps
Typically, to find the right senior living community, tours are scheduled so loved ones and families can see the place for themselves. When choosing an assisted living community, it’s important that the senior and their family are on board with the geographic location, care options, and atmosphere.
In this particular case, John was unable to travel. So, Connie worked to bring all of the information that would normally be evaluated during a visit to him. After getting an insight into his financial requirements as well as geographic location needs, she narrowed the community search down and brought him images and brochures of the top 3 locations. She used her proprietary software to show pictures of the communities, along with their amenities and pricing. Additionally, Connie brought John menus of available food options and pictures of the dining room. The information Connie provided, allowed John to make an informed decision about his living space even though he couldn’t travel there. Once his finances, medical, and transportation needs were settled, John moved into his new home.
John didn’t have the proper furniture to fit his new home. The community was very helpful in providing him with the necessities after Connie advocated for his needs. Throughout this process, Connie helped John by handling all aspects of his move, including bringing his personal belongings from his old home into his new space. John was happy and comfortable with his new surroundings.
LTLA’s Solution
Senior Living Placement Specialists obtain most of their clients through referrals. A referral can come from a previous client, an elder law attorney, an online source or any senior industry professional. Typically it is the adult child that reaches out on behalf of their parents.
Connie’s typical process lets seniors transition into their final home smoothly and with dignity. Here’s what to expect when you get started working with a Senior Living Placement Specialist.
- A sitdown consultation with the family or individual will happen first in order to determine the right living situation. A Senior Living Placement Specialist will profile the senior’s needs and work with the family to determine what type of community would be best as far as budget, location, medical needs and amenities.
- Then, a Senior Living Placement Specialist will help narrow the search down to the top 3 options and show the family their choices. After this, the senior and their family may choose to go on a tour of the communities they are considering.
- After the tour, the senior and their family will decide which community is the best fit for them. Then a Senior Living Placement Specialist will advocate for the best price possible and help the senior to move into their new home.
- Once the senior is in their new home, a Senior Living Placement Specialist will ensure the facility is up to the senior’s standards. They will make the move comfortable and continue to check up on the senior as they get settled in their new home!
LTLA’s Senior Living Placement Specialist
At the Long Term Living Association, we take pride in providing financial, cognitive, and physical support to seniors and families. If you’re looking for a Senior Living Placement specialist and resources to help you find assisted living or memory care placement, the Long Term Living Association (LTLA) is here to support you during this process. To learn more, visit longtermliving.org or call 1-800-868-1193 to make an appointment.
