Finding Assisted Living

I wish that there was a big sign over an assisted living facility letting you know the grade of that facility. Or if there was a way to be a fly on the wall of the facility to see how residents are treated when the families aren't around. As I've said we've placed my dad at one that seems very nice and I've started the process of finding a facility for my Grandma in St. Petersburg. 

Most facilities do not provide you what the cost is per month unless you make the effort and tour the facility. So far, in St. Petersburg, I have visited (or tried to visit) 3 facilities and I'm in the process of scheduling visits with more. When we were looking for facilities for my dad our main focus was the Memory Care unit and the types of care they were able to provide. Most facilities offer different levels of care and some can be certified or rated to have the ability to dispense a larger dosage of certain types of drugs if the need ever arises.

In my research I have found there are considerable more facilities in St. Petersburg than there are in Jacksonville. In Jacksonville there are only a handful of facilities in a 10 mile radius around my parents house. In St. Petersburg there are over 50 facilities within a 10 mile radius. And as I visit these facilities I'm reminded of when I was trying to find an apartment when I was in Gainesville for college. "If you sign this weekend we can give you 1/2 off of your first 6 months!!" It seems a little odd to me that assisted living facilities are doing this. In Jax, there are waiting lists... not in St. Pete. I could move my Grandma into the one that I like today if I wanted. And in St. Pete a comparable facility to the one my dad is in is half the price of what we are paying for my dad. It's crazy!! Down here is definitely a buyer's market. 

Now how do I make a decision and how do I get Grandma to finally decide that she wants to move. I get the impression that part of her wants to move and be waited on but part of her is scared about the change. There is also so much to consider... Doctors, how to pay for it, amenities, nearby hospitals, etc... 

If you haven't already signed up for long term care insurance, consider it now. From what I've heard the younger you are when you sign up for it the cheaper it is and it would cover the costs of things that we are currently having to worry about for my dad and soon, my grandma. Did you know that assisted living facilities (the nicer ones) cost $3,500-10,000 per month!!! That was an eye opener, I had no clue. The costs are not covered by health insurance or Medicare at all for most situations. There is an Aid and Assistance program for vets or surviving spouses of vets that helps out with the cost of care, but it's not much. 

So I've got a facility that I really like and is around the corner from me that I would LOVE to move my Grandma into, now it's just getting her use to the idea. I'm visiting a few more while she is trying to decide, just in case I can find one that is just as nice and slightly cheaper. It's just convincing my 87 year old grandma that change is a good thing. 

So this weekend I'm taking a break. I'm going to Philly, I'm going to run/walk my half marathon, I'm going to have fun, and I'm going to relax. On Monday I'll be touring the next facility and continuing trying to talk my Grandma into moving here.

Since I'm really missing my dad right now and I really wish I could pick up the phone and call him and talk about my upcoming trip and race I thought I would give a Pop-ism about that. He was big into physical fitness and was always encouraging me in any of my athletic pursuits. When I was in high school as long as I was involved in a sport, I didn't have to find a part time job so of course I was on the swim team. As I got into triathlons and running, he was there at every finish line until I moved to St. Pete. I really missed him at the finish line of my first half-ironman but I was on the phone with he and mom immediately after. For some phone calls, even if he couldn't remember my name he could remember I was always running and training and would ask about it. Today I miss that. A lot.