Important Questions to Ask Assisted Living Service Providers

Assisted living facilities can serve as a great choice for seniors who can somewhat manage their daily living activities but need extra help for certain tasks or activities. It can also be an enticing option for people who no longer feel safe living at home alone, but cannot afford to hire caregiver services found in traditional nursing homes. So, rather than being at home without any support, Arcadia assisted living facility can help provide seniors with a comfortable and confident life. While there are many options to choose from when it comes to the assisted living facility, here are some important questions that you must ask when making the final choice.

How Good is the Quality of Care?

Since the assisted living facilities are dedicated to seniors and those who are unable to perform specific tasks on a regular basis, they offer some degree of on-site medical care, but the quality of the care being provided to the residents can vary widely.

You need to be sure about making the choice by gathering the required information through various sources such as checking the potential facilities for violations issued by the state and speaking to the current residents and their families. They can share their anonymous reviews about their experiences with the caregiver staff. And most importantly, make several visits and rely on your own observations.

You must also discuss with staff the procedures and protocols they follow in case of an emergency. For example, how they would manage when there is a medical emergency in the middle of the night. Check if there is a doctor or nurse available on the premise to prove initial medical assistance to the residents or would they have an ambulance ready to take the resident immediately to an Emergency Room?

What is the Cost of Arcadia Assisted Living Facility Services?

Before you make a decision about the Arcadia Gardens assisted living facility, it is important that you compare various options and also ask for a list of fees and make sure that the fees are noted in a contract BEFORE making your final decision about a facility.  Most of these facilities will offer rooms and essential services at affordable prices, but the cost may vary for ancillary services like transportation to medical appointments, additional caregiver assistance, etc.

Additionally, you also need to be sure if there are dietary restrictions or hidden costs as they can dramatically change the affordability of a facility. Go through the terms and conditions to fully understand how the additional fees are triggered.

What is the Discharge Policy?

Just like a hospital or healthcare facility, an assisted living Arcadia CA facility will also have its discharge policy that needs to be followed when you want to go back home. It is very important to have a good understanding of the discharge policy as involuntary discharges are the leading cause of complaints among the residents of assisted living residents.  There have been incidents when residents have been asked to leave the premises due to nonpayment, or in case the medical needs of the residents exceed the level of care provided at the facility.

You must avoid any such incident so make sure to discuss everything with the staff and also closely review the facility’s discharge policies in your contract before signing on.

Of course, there will be various types of verbal assurances from the management or staff members, but make sure that you never trust what is not written in the contract. So, if they’re claiming anything that is now there on the contract, politely ask them to put it in writing and keep it in your records before you sign a contract.

What Type of Assisted Care is Required?

The charges of assisted living facilities can vary widely on the type of assisted care a senior or patient would need. So, it is important that you closely understand the type of care needed by the seniors so you choose facilities with care services that will suit their needs in the short and long term.

This must begin with an honest and open conversation with the one you are going to admit to the Arcadia assisted living facility. You must also consult with a doctor to understand the level of care they currently need. A doctor can also help know how those needs might change as they age. With detailed information, it becomes easier to make the right decision, based on the specific special medical needs of the seniors.

How are Caregivers Trained?

Since most of the residents of assisted living facilities are seniors and patients who are unable to perform various tasks on a regular basis, it is important that there must be a staff that is trained to handle the special needs of residents at the facility.

An inside look at the training of the caregivers will help you make a better decision by assessing how personalized the care is. Additionally, you also need to have a look at the hiring process of nurses, caregivers, and other staff members.

Final Words

Making the right decision about an arcadia assisted living facility can be a tough choice as you want to ensure the comfort of your loved ones while taking care of your budget. The above-mentioned questions are sure to help you assess the quality of care to be provided to the seniors as well as the staff members so you know that your seniors are in safe hands. Above all, make sure to tour the facility before you reach the decision as it can give you a closer view of the place where your seniors are going to spend a significant amount of time.