NH & MC research - spreadsheet?

ebplionis

Hi everyone,

I'm diving into the difficult process of researching a nursing home or memory care facility for my parents.  Did anyone create a spreadsheet or other research note taking tool I could adapt?  I hate reinventing the wheel, and frankly don't quite know what sort of information is most important yet to keep track of.  

Any other tips from the group on the process would be helpful as well, especially for the greater DC metro area.  I already was rightly steered away from APFM from this group, thank goodness!

Beachfan

Hi ebplionis,

I am not a "techie" so I made my own spreadsheet, no templates to offer.  In researching MC facilities, I started in November, 2019, by examining websites for facilities listed "near me".  Narrowed the list down to about 5 or 6 which I then called and asked questions, made copious notes and got a feel for the facilities.  I then visited 3 of them on several occasions, with family members (and DH) in tow.  I asked every question that came to mind, nothing was off limits. (Can my DH age in place here?  Are there circumstances that will cause him to be discharged? What happens if......?)  On my homemade spreadsheet, I listed the pertinent information that I wanted to have readily available.  Topics were Facility Name, # beds for Alz/Dementia, Is respite offered? (cost and minimum stay), Furniture provided, Fee/Month (all inclusive or added costs when needed), Staff ratio, Private or shared rooms, Mileage from our home, Wait list, and finally, date of visit.  I kept all notes from phone calls and visits for reference  as well.  

My take away after 3 months of research: the best choices for my DH were two which ONLY care for Alz./dementia patients.  That is all they do.  Costs are all inclusive, patients can age in place and they are equipped to deal with any situation that arises.  I spoke to family members of residents who verified all the information and thought highly of the facilities and the care provided.  Thankfully, DH is an "easy" patient, happy and content here at home and I have no immediate plans for placement for him.  I keep in touch with the facility directors occasionally and may consider respite at some point, but for now, I feel better having done the research and having a plan B in my back pocket.  

There have been a number of posts on this forum (and the Spouse forum) on this topic.  With patience and skill, you may be able to find and reference them.  There are questions to ask, circumstances to consider, and a wide variance in fees and services.  Don't wait to start the process; I found that researching "just in case" was comforting.  Good luck.  I am sure others will join in and give advice.  

jfkoc

I do not think the wheel has been invented...lol

What a good idea. Would you be willing to start? We could all add items. 

harshedbuzz

I've never seen a spread sheet for comparison.

What I did was talk to people in my IRL support group about which places were worth checking out and tour, tour, tour. You'll pretty quickly get a sense of what the best options are. 

One thing I would do, given the unique circumstances of placing 2 parents at once and living in an area that likely has 3 different sets of regulations around Medicaid funding for MC, is to talk with a CELA asap. Unless your parents have unlimited assets or a great LTC policy, you'll likely be facing Medicaid at some point so you'll want to consider places that have Medicaid beds available. In my state, that would only be in some SNF but just across the river it would include semi private MC beds too.

When getting price lists, be sure to ask what's included in the base price. Often there are tiers of care which can impact the monthly fee. One place I looked at had what felt an awful lot like an ala carte menu with upcharges for medication based on number taken, incontinence care, 2 person lift (that's kind of a joke- for the safety of the lifters and liftees everyone should be a 2 person lift). Also check out what their policies are around asking people to leave based on behaviors and what their expectations are in terms of the family hiring additional help during the end stages of the disease.

HB