Consumer Reports: 12 Steps To Finding An Assisted-Living Facility

Almost 1 million Americans are in assisted-living facilities. A Consumer Reports investigation reveals the multibillion-dollar business is largely unregulated, and the amount and kind of care offered varies dramatically from facility to facility. Assisted living home Some people may imagine assisted living as meals being served in a pleasant setting, lovely accommodations with the comforts of home, medical care on site to provide health screenings and administer prescriptions to residents, and a variety of activities to keep seniors engaged. But Consumer Reports' Amanda Walker, who toured a dozen facilities as part of a three-month investigation, says there's no national standard for what an assisted-living facility must provide. "Just because a facility calls itself 'assisted living' doesn't guarantee you'll get a certain level of assistance," Walker said. "The facilities are regulated by the states, and the amount of oversight varies greatly. For example, they might inspect facilities annually, or they might inspect them once every five years." Beyond glossy brochures, Consumer Reports found that it's difficult to get the information people need to evaluate a facility. Consumer Reports said it asked the 10 largest assisted-living chains for the necessary information and got very few specifics. "You need to take a good look at the contract and the costs that are involved. Some facilities will charge a flat fee. Others charge escalating rates, depending on how much assistance you need. You also want to look at the staff levels and the amount of training the staff has had," Walker said. Those interested should also tour the facility several times to get a perspective from different days, according to Walker. She adds that people should be sure to ask to see one of the occupied rooms and make a point of talking to the residents to see if they're happy and well cared for. One other thing Consumer Reports found is that outward appearances are no indication of the quality of care being given to residents inside. For More Information: http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20050720005481&newsLang=en