What you need to know before choosing an elder care facility

As part of our monthly AARP sponsored segment that highlights issues important to older adults in Arizona: This is what to know before choosing a elder care facility.

Heather Macre is a Phoenix attorney at Phoenix law firm, Fennemore and discussed what adults should be looking out for when choosing an assisted living facility.

“We have supervisory care which just sort of monitoring under that. We have personal care where someone will come in and actually assist with cooking and cleaning and any activities of daily living, and then finally we have directive care which is very hands on. Medication management; helping with activities of daily living; memory care,” Macre said.

The first thing to do when considering elder care facilities is review an assisted living resident agreement so you know what accommodations you would like to add to your agreement and what you would might like to take away. Most living facilities are willing to negotiate with you, according to A Place for Mom.

Some good questions to ask the care facility when going over your agreement are:

• Are there different levels of care?
• What is a residents bill of rights?
• How does this work with Medicare/Medicaid plans?
• If residents need more care, can their agreement be terminated?

Asking these questions can help you understand the care facility better and know if its the right fit for you, according to A Place for Mom.

Another tip is to have an attorney look over your living agreement. For anyone who is not familiar with law, it might be hard to understand the language written in the agreements, according to A Place for Mom.