Care facilities exist for a reason. For many people with dementia, they can be the absolute best thing for their care. And sometimes, it can be a nightmare. Yesterday in Phoenix, Arizona, a local news channel shared that a resident in a long-term care facility was raped by a staff member, and the facility waited several weeks before reporting it to authorities.
The average cost in the United States for a care facility is over $100,000 for a shared room. Yet most care facilities do not have ongoing dementia training and support. You might be paying for “memory care,” yet most of the staff at the facility have very little “memory care” experience and training.
It’s truly a travesty. I think it’s even unethical. I keep working with the Alzheimer’s Associations (national and Alzheimer’s OC) to create more regulation.
Despite this, I placed my husband in a care facility. One facility was a bad experience, but the other was excellent. The difference for me was the second time I used someone who was an expert at finding care facilities. I knew that placement agencies were big business, and I avoided “A Place for Mom.” My best referral for placement was in Los Angeles, and they didn’t really know the facilities in Orange County. As the first placement was failing, I found an excellent placement person. Part of my care navigation services is connecting you with her. The other part is helping figure out if the placement is wrong or if we need to work with both our loved one and the staff to address difficult behaviors.
I also help people figure out how to pay for care. If you need to ensure you have both the legal planning and the best care for your loved one, give me a call.
