Considering assisted living for Mom & Dad?
If you are finding that one or both of your parents are experiencing difficulty living on their own either for health reasons or being overwhelmed with the responsibilities of maintaining a household then an assisted living facility may be a good solution.
There are many of these facilities in Toronto alone and let alone throughout the province. You may wish to start your search by obtaining referrals from friends and colleagues who have parents in one of these types of properties. There is also an Ontario government website called Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority that allows you to search by name or by city/town for facilities. This site, www.rhra.ca/en/register offers many details including the license status, care services and ownership. It would make a good place to start to get an overview of what’s available.
When you get to the point of making site visits you’ll find the following checklist from the Seniors Real Estate Specialist® organization most useful.
QUESTIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS FOR SELECTING AN ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY
When interviewing potential assisted living facilities, it’s a good idea to have a standard list of questions to ask each facility so you can make relevant comparisons. This may include:
What levels of care does this facility offer? What abilities and degrees of self-sufficiency are required by residents? What happens when these abilities change?
Do you conduct an initial assessment prior to admission? How often are assessments repeated? Are they written and available for the family’s review?
What is your staff-to-resident ratio during the day? At night?
Is a nurse on site around the clock? Does a physician visit the facility? How are medical emergencies handled?
Who administers medications? How is this information recorded? Can it be reviewed by family members at any time?
What experience and abilities does your staff possess? How much ongoing training is required?
What type of apartments and/or living units are available? Is there a waiting list? What is the estimated time before you can accept a new resident?
What is the monthly cost? Do you have a written list of what’s included and which services cost extra? What other fees might be assessed?
What are your billing and payment policies? What is your discharge policy?
How often is the facility assessed? By what organizations? Are the findings made available to families as a matter of course?
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:
Is the facility attractive, in excellent repair and clean, both inside and out?
Is the staff friendly? Were you welcomed when you arrived? Does the staff and executive director address residents by name? Are interactions between staff and management professional? Are members of the staff warm towards residents? Do they greet you as they tour?
May you visit with resident any time you like?
Is the food attractive? Does it taste good? Are families permitted to review the menus?
Are the residents happy? Do they appear to have excellent care from staff? Do they interact and seem to enjoy each other’s company?
Are you comfortable here? Do the staff and residents seem comfortable? Does it seem like a good “fit”?
Visit each facility at different times – during activities and mealtimes, for example and seek feedback from residents and their families on these and other occasions.
Download a PDF copy of the Assisted Living Facility Checklist.