10 Things

Continuing the theme from my last post, here is an article from SmartMoney.com pointing out common problems faced with assisted living facilities.

The article is called "10 Things Your Assisted-Living Facility Won't Tell You" by Stacey L. Bradford.

Here's the list:

1) We promise more than we can deliver.
2) We can raise our prices at any time.
3) Our staff has very little training.
4) Medication errors are common and our pharmacy charges too much.
5) We face scant regulation.
6) You're practically on your own at night.
7) You may have to hire a private-duty nurse, too.
8) We stop spending once our beds are full.
9) Practically anyone can hang an assisted-living shingle.
10) Check your dignity at the door.

I personally had to deal with #'s 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10.  In fact, the only one I can definitely rule out is number 2 because our contract specified when prices could be raised.  It isn't surprising to me to see that Sunrise Senior Living* is mentioned more than once in the article.

Click here to read the entire article and each item on the list in more detail.  Scary stuff.

*Sunrise Senior Living and Sunrise Assisted Living are the same company.  They changed the "assisted" part of their name a few years ago in what now seems a rather prophetic move.

Comments

[Karma]

This is a great article, and I've experienced all these things to be true. The new name "Sunrise Senior Living" is actually not fitting for my poor mother, who is only 61 and does not see herself as a senior. But then again, even her friend there who is in his 90s told me last week that he thinks he is only 56. (Mom often thinks she somewhere in her 40s or 50s.)

Anyway, we really need more regulations on assisted livings!