First, let let me say, a referral service is not required to find an assisted living community.  Families are perfectly able to find one themselves.  That being said, by the time an assisted living community is needed time is usually of the essence.  When I started looking for a community for my mother, my father had just passed.  We had been completely immersed taking care of my parents, planning the memorial service, taking care of the estate, etc. It was a very emotional time.

When we were able to pause and take a breath I remember thinking, “where does mom go?”  It was overwhelming.  She had already made it clear she wanted her own place.  Her big requirement was a community that would take her three small dogs.  My brothers and I wanted an affordable community that was close by and offered amenities and top notch care. But where to start?  How do you know if they are reliable?  How do you know what are reasonable rental rates?  How do we pay for it? Fortunately, my father’s hospice nurse gave us the name of a referral service and it was INVALUABLE!

We only knew we needed a safe, clean and affordable community close enough to to my brothers and I that we could see her often.  We never thought to ask about contracts, physical and mental health needs, the move (what do you take?), how many nurses are on staff, what happens in an emergency? There are so many factors to consider.

How Referral Services Simplify the Assisted Living Search

A referral service can help you save time and can take some of the guesswork out of the situation.  Some referral services simply give you three or four names of communities to check out.  You ask the questions.  Other referral services, like SLS of California, not only give you the names of communities, but we have visited the communities.  We have spoken to the directors, toured the facilities and have gathered information like pricing, availability, amenities and nursing staff.  We have made sure the names we give you are licensed.  We would not offer options that we would not consider for our own parents. We take your information and match your loved one’s needs and budget with communities that work for you.  It helps no one to see a community that is $15,000/month when your budget allows for $8,000/month.

Referral services can provide you with pricing structures, care levels, staff to resident ratios, amenities and contracts and fee models.  Cities like Los Angeles or Dallas have hundreds of communities.  Sorting through them on your own can take weeks. A service can narrow down your list based on budgets, care need, location, medical condition and lifestyle priorities.

Referral services are usually free to families. They are paid after a resident is placed.  Again, you don’t NEED a referral service to find a place for your loved one, but a service can reduce your anxiety, it helps you feel less overwhelmed, it helps clarify your care requirements and budget range and helps you find a community in the location you are looking for.

SLS of California also has extensive knowledge of Medicare, MediCal, VA Benefits, Social Security and Long Term Care Insurance.  We can put you in touch with Elder Care Lawyers that help with estate planning and asset management .