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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 17, 2005 Shop around for the best fit in assisted living By BILL KETTLER Mail Tribune Shopping around is the best way to find the right assisted-living center, says an Ashland nurse/educator who wrote a book about how to make the right choice. "It is helpful to taste the food and spend time observing community life to see if it appeals to you. Talk to some of the residents to find out whether you would like to live with them," Heather Young wrote in "Choices: Making a Good Move to a Retirement Community" ($15.95 at Amazon.com). Young is a nurse educator and researcher at Oregon Health & Science University School of Nursing at Southern Oregon University. Her book is based on her doctoral thesis. Residents’ opinions about where they live can be valuable, too, said Madeline Hill, who founded Ashland’s Mountain Meadows retirement community. "Ask the people who live there, ‘Is this a place you would recommend to your friends?’ " Assisted-living centers must meet specific criteria to be licensed under Oregon law. Each private apartment must be at least 220 square feet and include a wheelchair-accessible private bathroom with shower. Each apartment must have a kitchenette with a sink, refrigerator and some kind of cooking appliance. Advertisement Assisted-living centers must also provide, among other things: 24-hour supervision; three meals a day in a group dining room; medication management and personal-care assistance (help with mobility, bathing, dressing, eating, toileting and other activities of daily living). Each assisted-living center has its own personality, said Kathie Young, program administrator for senior and disabled services for the Rogue Valley Council of Governments. "Some are the ‘lacy doily’ set," she said. "Some are more down-home, where it’s really OK to spill your food." Assisted-living residents typically rent their apartments by the month. Rates are determined, in part, by the amount of care a resident requires. Some operators set rates by "levels of care." It’s important to know what your monthly fee covers, and what services may be extra before you make a choice, said Heather Young, the nurse educator. Costs vary from about $2,000 per month to more than $4,500, depending on the quality of rooms and the amount of assistance a resident needs. Some people who require very little attention may be able to find accommodations for less than $2,000. Each assisted-living center sets its own criteria for residents, based on the level of care managers feel they can provide. Residents whose health deteriorates may be asked to leave. People should know what those conditions are before choosing a retirement home, Heather Young said. "You have to ask, ‘Under what conditions would you ask me to leave?’ " Making a decision before a crisis occurs helps reduce the likelihood of a poor choice, said Hill of Mountain Meadows. "Don’t wait until the stroke or the broken hip, or the dementia," Hill said. "By deciding not to make plans, their children will have to step in for them. "Not accepting and embracing your own aging process burdens your family with doing it." Hill encouraged elders to talk with family members to create a plan. "That’s the way you can stay in control," she said. "Face it head-on, now, before the crisis." That can be a tall order because many elders simply don’t want to confront their own aging, Heather Young said. "Everyone’s in denial. No one wants to go there." Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztechmedia Website Hosting Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy online casino Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Reservationstogo Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Natto Kinase Nattokinase Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Advertisement s