And in return for help, I offer brazilian cats. (That sounds dirty, but it's not!)

Hope you can find what you're looking for. Is he tied to GA? My grandfather was in a home in Palm Harbor, FL (near Tampa) that provided care up until his passing. I could look into it.

He was originally talking about Florida (his sister lives there), but then the hurricanes seem to have freaked him out (which I can understand). Then he was talking about TX, but I'm not sure why that changed. Then he was talking about CA, which would be nice because it would be near me, but then he decided that earthquakes freak him out. So now it's Savannah.

I'm making him seem totally flaky, which he's not -- I think he's actually just really looking forward to being able to fish all day long and being picky about where that should be.

All that to say... no, he may not be locked into GA!

The Tampa Bay area is actually fairly hurricane free- it's sort of protected by the gulf. Sure, they get the rain, but no major hurricane damage there in years and years. I'll see if I can get the name of the place my grandfather lived.

Thank you!

Occhi - I do network admin stuff for our local provincial agency that administers just this sort of thing.

I will take a look and see if we have any material that may be of use!

I work in this particular industry. By all means, get as much info as you can - I'm sure every facility you find will be more than happy to mail you their brochure - but eventually you and/or your father (and preferably both, since one may notice something the other might miss) will need to physically go and check them out.

The suggestion to go at dinnertime and talk to current resididents is a good one.

I've gotta run right now. I'll try to duck back in here later and throw out some things to look for if I have time. Feel free to email me with more spcific questions: my user name at excite dot com.

It sounds like bmarkey is the man to talk to...I thought I might be able to come up with some generic things to look for, but given the differences...I think I will leave it to bmarkey!

Ok, I have consulted with Science Girl, who used to be a certified nurse’s aide, and here’s what we’ve come up with for starters:

• Find out specifically what “assisted living” means in that particular facility. Many people think once they’ve got Mom & Dad set up on AL that they’re covered. This is not always the case. Find out how much assistance is available, what the charges are for the varying levels of care, and, if a patient goes beyond what the facility can offer, are outside full-time caregivers permitted and for how long. Ask what the criteria are for being asked to leave; where I work, if a resident gets beyond what we can offer, they have to go to a facility with a higher level of care.

• It sounds like your dad wants to age in place, which is great. Find out if the facility has a nursing floor – that’s the ideal. The place that I work doesn’t, but there is a nearby sister facility that does. Transferring residents between the two is relatively painless, but not always.

• Ask about the AL staff-to-patient ratio.

• Ask to see a room, preferably one being used rather than a demo room. Can grab bars be installed in the bathroom? Is there enough room to maneuver a walker or wheelchair, should they be needed down the road? How about the doorways and halls?

• Check the facility public areas for safety issues. Our facility has a breathtaking spiral staircase directly by the front door. It really impresses visitors, but it’s not all that practical, given the population that lives there.

• Are the general staff certified in first aid and CPR? The nurse’s aides will be, of course, but how about the servers in the dining room or the housekeeping staff?

• Find out the average yearly increase in rent, going back a few years.

• Check out the neighborhood. Are there amenities (grocery, shops, parks, etc.) within practical walking distance? If not, how often are there organized trips to such amenities? What kind of condition are the sidewalks in – are they broken and cracked, making it easy to trip and fall? What’s the traffic like? Are there safe crosswalks?

That should get you started. Again, feel free to email with any questions.

Thank you so much, bmarkey!

Like I said, it'll be a few years before he actually needs anything, so this will be an ongoing process. I may add you to my Gmail contacts, though!

Anytime.

this will be an ongoing process

That's what people forget.

it'll be a few years before he actually needs anything
Then it's a really good thing you're getting on this now. The best facilities around us have very, very long waiting lists. We're talking 10+ years in some cases. (It may not be the same in other states. PA is a very old state in general, and the PA Dutch/mennonite community in particular is practically immortal.)

I'm not an expert, please consult the resources offered to you, but my Mom says that it's important to have continuing care - so you can move in the same facility from apartment to assisted to nursing - once you get in, you make friends and you don't want to leave that support system.
And yes, the wait lists are long.

I would find out if they have a policy of what will happen if his money runs out. We are faced now, with my wife's mother, that her money will last 3 more years, and if she outlives that, we may need to move her. Some assisted living places will work with the families to make sure that the residents do not have to move. Catholic-associated centers make some sort of allowences for this.

If you can, talk to the staff. Cleaners, food servers, the "grunts". Look for long term folks. If all you can find are people with a year or two of time in, you may have a place that is nasty to work for. People who hate thier job find it hard to care for the people they are there to help.

Y'all rock. I am making a checklist now.