Adult family/group homes

Merla · March 30

I never seriously considered adult family homes as a care option but I recently spoke with a care provider specializing in dementia that adult family homes can be a good option for some people. Thoughts?

April23 · March 30

My dad is in a residential care home (RCF here), many people call them group homes. It is a home in a residential neighborhood converted to a memory care facility. It only houses 8 residents with two caregivers during the day and one at night. There is a nurse on staff. The meals are home cooked by the staff. Bed and chair alarms are allowed. It is a beautiful home with dining room, family room, real kitchen, etc., not a facility setting. For us it has been a lifesaver as my dad receives as close to individualized care as you can get. Only in-home care would be better IMO. My dad is doted on and spoiled rotten by his caregivers. There is no nickel and diming, everything he needs is included in the price and if he needs something, they get it for him. It is absolutely wonderful in every way.

Merla · March 30

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/269146#Comment_269146

what is the cost relative to high quality private pay memory care in your area?

I'm having my mom move to a small high quality memory care which is by far the best option in my area but if this doesn't work out then I would consider a residential care home. How did you find out about the residential care home and how did you assess the quality? My hesitation to consider this option is basically quality control similar to how I feel about in home daycares. Some may be great but usually the worst child abuse cases are at in home centers or so it seems to me.

April23 · March 30

I learned about RCF from a senior living advisor I worked with when it was time to find LTC for my dad. The monthly cost is about the same as the high quality MC in the area but with a much lower resident-to-caregiver ratio (as well as providing much more included in the price). The quality of his caregivers is unsurpassed but of course I can only speak to this home in particular.

JesseLee · April 6

I found an RCF by word of mouth, just sharing the diagnosis with my social circle. Also found that the big places will recommend if you tour and it's not right for your LO. Oh, and Senior Blue Book (COLO) and a senior fair.

pamu · April 6

We found an AL group home for my mom. 15 residents total, home cooked meals & snacks, activities, great staff, rural area so lots of trees, grass and even a garden. It was perfect and she wanted to move there at first. She only lasted 18 days. She loved it the first 5-6 days then her delusions ramped up and she started eloping. The last draw was that she was found at a home down the street and brought back by the police. She was then brought to the ER by ambulance. We were told that she would need to be medicated in order to return, which could take weeks. The geri-psych doctor at the hospital did not want to admit her because he felt she needed MC. Be sure that whatever type of group home you look into that they can accommodate the changing behaviors and needs of your LO. If not, have a Plan-B. My sister and I were devastated that the group home didn't work out because it was lovely.

harshedbuzz · April 6

Where I live, AFHs are pretty rare. My grandmother was in one because my cousin couldn't bear the thought of a facility. I wasn't dazzled but I would hesitate to make pronouncements of all AFHs (or MCFs) based on that experience. This place took people who needed care with all manner of concerns— mental health, unskilled nursing, mobility issues, dementia.

One thing I will say in favor of the MCFs in which dad and my aunt resided was that the everything about the facilities was planned around best practices for PWD. The staff was trained using Teepa Snow and Validation approaches as appropriate and scheduled in such a way that there was no weekend B Team. Dad's main caregivers worked either Tue-Sat or Sun-Thr, so a regular was always there. The activities were varied, dementia-friendly and offered 7 days a week. Even the building was designed with dementia in mind. While there were beds for 44, it was designed to have 4 wings with 10 rooms (with 7-8 residents while dad was there) each where they had regular caregivers, meals served family style and a TV/living room. They was a circular hall in the center with the larger activities' spaces, seating and access to the garden/walking path. Auntie's place was smaller except that it was a part of larger CCRC offering more amenities. Both places also had available medical care— dad's had a visiting geri psych, PCP and podiatry while auntie had that as well as dentistry and an optometrist.

HB

Merla · April 7

I had an appointment with a local neurologist and he just mentioned this as a care option I should be aware of which can be a good fit for some.

Per the neurologist he said adult family homes can be good options for people who are resistant to care, reclusive people, people who are high fall risks, and people who aren't wanders or flight risks.

memory care is better for social people and people who are flight risks.

I was just curious about the adult family homes since my moms neurologist mentioned it as a good option for some of his patients and I only had a vague idea of what they are and I had always thought they were more for people with developmental disabilities.

Adult family/group homes

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