Senior Living Referral Agency – 10 Questions
Maybe you've wanted to speak with your parents about moving into assisted living. The home is too much for them to handle, or the stairwell is growing too long and steep. They are lonely, and you are far away enough that you can't help them. But before you bring up a potentially difficult discussion, make sure you have some alternatives prepared for them.
Perhaps your parents are now sick and need to relocate quickly, or perhaps you never had that talk with your family and now your parents are sick and in need of moving fast. You're reeling from a diagnosis, trying to figure out your parent's medical requirements, and you don't have much time to focus on finding housing.
Unfortunately, the referral industry for senior living is mostly unregulated and there are many bad agencies who will take advantage of families. Some refer places based on financial incentives that they never disclose, which takes away from finding the best place possible. Ask around and you will hear horror stories of how these terrible agencies have taken advantage of people in your situation before you make a call yourself.
When narrowing down and choosing a referral agency, ask them these 10 questions.
- Tell me, what is your experience and/or credentials?
- What is your process for selecting the communities you refer to?
- How many referrals do you typically make per client?
- How frequently do you monitor communities to ensure they're in compliance with state guidelines?
- Do you have a good understanding of the facilities that contract with you?
- When you have potential buyers who are interested in a community you're not currently contracted with, do you tell them?
- How do you ensure that your clients are compatible with living in a community before sending them there?
- How much time do you devote to your clients?
- How frequently do you show your clients around different senior living communities?
- Where do you get the majority of your customers?
Also, before you deal with a referral service, make sure they will not share personal contact information without your written consent and that they will show you their privacy policy.