We’ve reported often (for example, here, here, here and here) on senior living options, from “Aging in place” to senior living facilities. It’s certainly a vital topic for SuperAgers. But in addition to watching the overall trends, we’ve also been looking for “insider” expertise on the practical issues involved in making the best decisions. Is there a systematic approach to follow? What should you be looking for? How should the criteria change to reflect new innovations in the industry? To help answer those questions — and to keep an ongoing eye on the whole industry — we’re delighted to welcome Luke Fannon as another member of the SuperAging News Network.
CEO of the Fannon Group, Luke is a 30-year veteran of the senior living industry who combines a wealth of experience and expertise with a sincere desire to share his insider knowledge to help our readers navigate the all-important senior living decision. His unique experience includes all phases of senior living, adult day healthcare and post-acute care (skilled Nursing and home Health) and he’ll be providing our readers with essential information from his in-depth knowledge on all these topics.
Families who are making the senior living decision have a very tough job. Emotionally, no one wants to leave their home. When we are faced with having to make that move or making that decision for someone, it can be very difficult to determine which community offers the best quality services. One of the reasons why this is hard for prospective residents and their families is that the industry does a poor job of describing how they deliver assistance and care.
It is easy to see which communities in your search have the nicest facilities, the largest apartments and most attractive amenities, but, when support, assistance and care is important how do we determine which option provides the ‘best’ care? I encourage my Family and friends who are making the senior living decision to dig deeper during tours and conversations with senior living providers and ask questions about staffing, specialized services and third-party evidence of quality to helpthem make an informed decision about which community will meet their needs best.
Investment in staffing varies wildly from operator to operator and is typically the best indicator ofthe quality of the services and care they provide. No matter the senior living type – active adult, independent living, assisted living or memory care – I found significant differences in how operators staff their communities. Staffing factors that are important include the total number of staff, their credentials and experience taking care of the Elderly. Here are a couple of examples:
One of my active adult clients has 7 employees on staff, while their competitors averaged around 3 to 4 employees. I’ve had numerous assisted living/memory care clients who had nurses (RNs/LPNs) on staff 24 hours per day vs many who do not staff nurses overnight.
A key position in an assisted living/memory care community is the Wellness Coordinator. This person oversees the care team, care delivery and medication administration. Many operators staff this position with RN, but many staff it with LPNs. Registered Nurses (RNs) require an Associate Degree in Nursing or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, while Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) typically complete a one-year program, often at a community college or vocational school.
Years of experience typically means better care. Ask communities you are comparing what is the “average years of experience their staff has taking care of the elderly.” Specifically ask about the Executive Director, Wellness Coordinator and other leaders such as the Activities Director. Are they experienced or not?
Specialized services like on-campus outpatient rehab and physician clinics, partnerships with health systems, home health agencies or hospices are set up to meet the current and future needs of residents. Here’s a perfect example why these services are important. Falls can be a major challenge for the elderly. Having an outpatient rehab gym on-campus demonstrates that a community is able to address that problem now or in the future. If it isn’t described during the tour or during conversations, ask about healthcare partnerships and specialized programs and services offered by the community.
There many resources and easy to access opportunities to evaluate objectively the quality of your options using third-party evidence. Here are some examples:
1. Consumer Reviews – You can compare all your options very easily with Google and other 5-star consumer review sites. Make sure you look at the rating and the total number of reviews. High ratings based on a small number of reviews may be suspect.
2. Resident Satisfaction Survey Scores: Many operators conduct resident satisfaction surveys. Some don’t publicize them because the scores are poor. Ask if resident satisfaction survey results are available to review.
3. State Surveys – Most assisted living and memory care services are regulated by the state they operate in. You can search state department of health websites and review the most recent survey results of your options.
4. US News & World Report Best of Awards: US News & World Report evaluates 400,000 resident satisfaction survey scores each year to determine which communities will receive their “best of” award. This award is a very good measure of quality.
5. NCAL Bronze, Silver & Gold Quality Awards: The National Center for Assisted Living awards their Bronze, Silver and Gold Quality awards to communities that demonstrate their commitment to continuous quality improvement. This award is based on the Baldrige Performance Excellence Framework and requires a significant commitment from a community to obtain this level of quality recognition. This award is the strongest measure of quality you can find.
I wish you luck as you navigate the difficult waters of the senior living decision. Hopefully, I have equipped you with information that you can use to evaluate your options. If you have questions and need help with your decision, do not hesitate to email me at [email protected].
