What to Have Ready Before You Call a Placement Agent

A placement specialist's first job is to rule homes out. A board and care home with six residents, a large assisted living community and a memory care home can each be right for one person and wrong for the next. The questions on the first call are how the specialist narrows the field before anyone tours.

There is a legal reason too. California's Health and Safety Code section 1569.47 says a placement agency must not place a person in a residential care facility for the elderly when, because of their health condition, the home cannot care for them within the limits of its license, or when the person needs inpatient care in a health facility. A specialist who does not ask about health cannot meet that rule.

On Hamssa's how it works page, the first conversation covers care needs, health conditions, daily routine, personality and preferences, where family lives, and the monthly budget. Expect something similar from any careful placement agent.

Rough answers are fine. Write down what you know and mark what you are not sure about:

The home your parent moves into will need the same information in writing. Under Title 22, section 87458, a home must have a medical assessment signed by a licensed medical professional within the last year before it accepts a resident. The assessment covers diagnoses, an examination for communicable tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, a record of current prescribed medicines, physical limitations and diet limits, whether the person is ambulatory, nonambulatory or bedridden, cognitive conditions and any known behavioral expressions.

You do not need that form for the first call. But if your parent's doctor already has a recent summary, or the hospital can give you a medication list, keep it nearby. The full paperwork is explained in assisted living move-in requirements.

Hamssa's privacy policy asks families not to send detailed medical information through the website form, because it is ordinary email. A placement specialist will ask about health by phone.

The budget question can feel intrusive. It matters because it decides which kinds of homes are realistic, and a good specialist would rather say so on the first call than show you homes that will not work later.

Think in monthly terms, and about how long the money needs to last. List the sources: income such as Social Security and pensions, savings, a house that may be sold or rented, long-term care insurance, veterans' benefits, and any family help. You do not need exact figures. For an overview of each source, see how to pay for assisted living in California.

Name the places that make visiting easy for the people who will visit most. Say whether there is a deadline: a hospital discharge date moves faster than a family planning ahead.

Decide who the specialist should talk to, and who has the final say. Title 22, section 87457, says no one may be admitted to a residential care home without their own consent and agreement, or that of their responsible person, and that the prospective resident or their responsible person takes part in the home's pre-admission appraisal. The same section says that if a placement agency has already completed a needs assessment, the home must obtain it and include it in its appraisal.

If your parent cannot sign for themselves, find out who can. California's court self-help site describes the usual documents: a power of attorney for financial matters, and an advance health care directive naming someone to make health care decisions. An elder law attorney can explain what your family's documents allow.

With Hamssa, the steps after the first call are the ones on her how it works page:

1. 1

   A shortlist

   A small number of licensed homes that fit what she heard, which may mix a board and care home and a larger community so you can feel the difference.

2. 2

   Tours together

   She schedules the visits and comes with you. Bring your parent if they are able, and anyone else who shares the decision.

3. 3

   Choosing and terms

   She can negotiate the price with the administrator if a rate is close to your budget. Your family contracts directly with the home.

4. 4

   Follow-up

   She checks in after the move, and helps you look again if the home turns out not to be the right fit.

Hamssa Benrekia helps families in the South Bay and Harbor area of Los Angeles County find licensed assisted living communities and board and care homes. Her help is free for families; see how placement is paid. Call with whatever you have, and contact Hamssa when you are ready. More topics are in the California Assisted Living Placement Guide.