Sep 12 2009
Tips for Selecting a Florida Senior Living Facility
I’ve heard from many people lately who are just beginning their efforts to help a loved one select a Florida senior living facility. They tell me they feel overwhelmed and are so afraid of making a wrong decision. While every situation is unique, there are some standard ideas and steps that I suggest, including:
- Determine what type of facility the person needs. You can read my definitions to learn the differences between nursing homes, skilled nursing units, assisted living facilities, continuing care retirement communities and adult day care centers. In general, most people hope to retain as much independence as possible. (An increasingly popular option is in-home care. I’ll write more about a great home care company located in Central Florida in one of my next blogs.)
- Decide what part of the state of Florida your loved one is interested or willing to live. I’ve divided my database into the following regions: Panhandle, North Florida, Central Florida, Central Gulf Coast, Southeast Coast, Southwest Gulf Coast, South Central Florida. You can also look at my map to understand where those regions are.
- Conduct a search of the Florida Senior Living Advisor database, based on your answers to the above two questions. If a facility has a website, I provide a direct link to it from the database. So look at the facility’s website to get more information. Of course, keep in mind that some of these Florida senior living facilities provide very detailed information on their websites, others do not. If a facility you are interested in does not have a website, you will need to call to get more information.
- Look at Florida Senior Living Advisor’s “Evaluating Facilities” page for a list of the questions that I asked – and some I wish I had asked – as I was researching facilities for my elderly father. The answers you receive can help you start to narrow down your list of options.
- Of course a big deciding factor is cost. This will vary greatly from facility to facility.
And don’t forget good, old-fashioned word-of-mouth. Talk to friends and neighbors. This is what lead me to help my father find the perfect facility – a casual conversation at a social event with an acquaintance I had not seen in several months. When she asked, “What’s new?” I proceeded to explain how I was immersed in helping my father select a Florida senior living facility. She responded by telling me about a facility she had just visited with her elderly mother. And the rest, as they say, is history.
One more idea: if you feel like you need more help, someone to walk you through the process, consider hiring a senior care management company. I recently met a wonderful woman named Patrice Antony who owns and operates Elder Advocates, Inc. in the Orlando area. Patrice is a Physical Therapist and Geriatric Clinical Specialist with more than 27 years of experience in working with the handicapped and the elderly. Patrice and her staff will do as much or as little as you need – from helping you research and select a senior facility, to consulting with medical staff on a client’s behalf, and negotiating with insurance companies. For more information, visit the Elder Advocates website.
I’d love to hear back from anyone currently going through this search process for an elderly family member. Comment on this blog or send me an email at mitra@flseniorlivingadvisor.com.