How To Find And Choose An Assisted Living Facility

To start your own evaluation, call the facility. You may eliminate the need to visit. Some of the key questions to cover on the phone are:

• Is the location convenient?
• Is the facility certified for participation in the Medicare or Medicaid programs? (This question is valid even if you are going to pay from private funds or via a long-term-care insurance policy.) 
• Does the facility accept your means of payment?
• Does the facility offer the medical and other services you need?
• What are the facility’s admission requirements for residents? Do you fit them? 
• What is the typical profile of a resident?  
• What is the ratio of staff to residents? (number of staff for each patient )
• Does the facility have vacancies or is there a waiting list?  
• Is there a website that includes comments from residents and family members about the facility and their satisfaction with it and the care they receive(d) in it?

NOTE: If payment is going to be through Medicare or Medicaid and there are no beds available for such payment methods: consider paying the market rate for several months and then switching to Medicare/Medicaid payment. It is difficult to move people out of a facility once they are in.

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