What you pay Hamssa
Nothing. Her help is free for families.
Hamssa is paid a referral fee by the care home your parent moves into. The fee is paid by the home, not billed to your family by Hamssa, and it is the arrangement most placement agencies in California use. Some homes have a written contract with her and some do not, and the amount differs from home to home with each home’s own marketing and corporate payment arrangements. If the home that best fits your parent pays her nothing, she still recommends it.
What you do pay for is the home itself. An assisted living community or board and care home charges a monthly rate that depends on the room and the level of care, and that agreement is between your family and the home. See what board and care costs in California.
The two ways placement agencies are paid
Paid by the care home
A common model. The agency has an agreement with the home and receives a referral fee after a resident moves in. The family is not billed by the agency.
Paid by the family
Some advisors and care managers charge the family directly, by the hour or as a flat fee, and take nothing from the homes they discuss.
Neither model is wrong. What matters is that you know which one you are dealing with before you rely on a recommendation.
Five questions to ask any placement agency
- 1Who pays you, and when?
- 2Do you have an agreement with every home you are showing me?
- 3Will you tell me about homes you do not have an agreement with?
- 4Is every home you suggest licensed, and how can I check?
- 5Will you come on the tours, and will you stay in touch after the move?
What California law requires of a placement agency
California’s Health and Safety Code, section 1569.47, covers private agencies that provide placement or referral services for older adults. In short:
- An agency may not place, refer or recommend someone to a home that provides care and supervision unless that home is licensed as a residential care facility for the elderly, or is exempt from licensing.
- An agency may not place someone in a licensed home when their health condition means the home cannot care for them within its license, or when they need inpatient care in a health facility.
- An agency employee who knows or reasonably suspects that a home is operating without a license must report it to the state.
- An agency must notify the licensing agency of known or suspected incidents that put residents’ health or safety at risk.
Every care home Hamssa suggests is licensed by the State of California, and she reads its licensing record, citations and complaints first. You can confirm any home’s license and read its inspection reports: see how to check an RCFE license.
Common questions
Is Hamssa LLC’s placement service free for families?
Yes. Families do not pay Hamssa, and she tells every family that at the start. She is paid a referral fee by the care home after a move-in. You are never obliged to choose a home she suggests.
How do senior placement agencies in California get paid?
There are two models. Often the agency is paid a referral fee by the assisted living community or board and care home after a resident moves in. Less often, a family pays an advisor directly, by the hour or as a flat fee. Any agency should tell you which model it uses before you tour.
If the home pays the agency, will I only be shown homes that pay?
It is the right question to ask any placement agency. No. If the home that best fits your parent does not pay her a referral fee, Hamssa still recommends it. She suggests homes she has interviewed and toured herself and whose state licensing records she has checked, and fees differ from home to home. Whoever recommends a home, check its license and inspection reports yourself.
Does a referral fee make the home more expensive for my parent?
Ask the home directly whether its rate is the same for a family that arrives on its own. A home’s monthly rate is set by the room and your parent’s level of care, and should be written in the admission agreement before you sign.
Sources
Official pages this page relies on. Rules and programs change, so check the source for the current version.