(Page 2 of 3)

• Ask about the facility’s policy for holding a bed if your loved one must be hospitalized or go into a rehabilitation facility for a temporary period?

• Ask to see a copy of the facility’s contract and read it carefully. You may want to consult with an attorney before signing a contract.

• Find out if the facility has a comprehensive disaster and emergency plan including evacuation procedures and when it was last updated. Ask to review a copy of the plan.

Visit a few area facilities before making a choice. You are in charge of this important decision and should never be made to feel as though you were pressured to choose any particular facility. You need to research, ask plenty of questions and above all, (as always) trust your own instincts.

My own personal journey as a family caregiver started 23 years ago as I helped my mom care for my dad, who retired in 1990 at the age of 59 and within three months, was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer. Mom went from business partner, traveling partner and spouse to being a full-time caregiver as his condition worsened. He passed away a year and a half later and immediately afterwards, Mom become caregiver for her parents who were living with, respectively, cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and strokes.

One of the greatest challenges we faced, that was at the same time emotional, financial and deeply personal, was to realistically assess whether it was time to consider long-term care placement for my grandparents.   By that time, I was already publishing Today’s Caregiver magazine and knew a lot of the assisted living and nursing home professionals in our community – but it was still a challenge.