By Bob Gregory
The short answer is yes they can and often do! Most Assisted Living Facilities are very
forthcoming with the fact their contract allows them to add charges to the base
fee—sort of a la carte if you will. In
fact, the facilities who follow industry best practices will explain potential
increases, how much they will be and what events trigger the charges. Very few facilities bury these additional
charges in the legal fine print and most will have you initial that you
understand the additional charges.
However, it’s always a shock to find out your parent’s monthly fee just
went up and you should ask for clarification and justification. So what are the reasons your parent’s fee may
go up? Let’s examine some of the more
common reasons so you have a better understanding. As you read on, I want you to keep in mind
your parent’s health and why they needed the Assisted Living Facility when they
first moved to the facility and mentally compare their health and needs today.
Reasons an Assisted
Living Facility charges additional fees:
- Incontinence and toileting-this is a very common reason you
may see your parent’s fee increase.
When a resident begins having issues with Incontinence, the
facility usually provides adult diapers, pads etc. Further, the facility may be changing
bed sheets daily or even multiple times per day. There may be additional laundry services
needed for soiled clothing as well.
The resident may also physically require help toileting where as
when they first arrived they were capable on their own accord. All of these items require expenditures and additional staff hours.
- Dietary-another common cause for increased fees are special dietary needs. Special diets may require foods that are not normally served by the facility. Further, changes in the ability of the resident to consume the food may have changed. Some residents must have their food cut into bites for them and some may be at a point that their food must be served in a purée. Again, these all require additional staff hours and expenditures for special foods.
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| three purees dinner Photo credit: ekornblut) |
- Mobility changes-a change in mobility for a resident can range
from not being capable of gripping with their hands all the way to no
longer being able to walk. A
resident’s need for assistance in dressing, bathing, or eating all cause
additional staff hours. Special
care must be shown to residents
(Photo credit: christine.gleason) who are experiencing difficulties walking, standing and moving, in general—all requiring extra care.
- Medical changes-the most common need for additional care for medical reasons usually arise from memory deterioration. A resident experiencing Dementia or onset of Alzheimer needs additional help. In some cases, they may need to be transferred to a special Memory Unit in the facility. There are other medical reasons as well that cause additional fees such as decreased vision or hearing.
If you are in charge of your parent’s finances, check the
billing monthly for any increase. If
your parent still handles their finances, then you also need to check the bill
monthly. As with any bill, you should
question charges that you didn’t authorize.
The increases may be well within the facility’s rights, but ask for an
explanation of the increase. Also, ask
for time to have your parent evaluated by their physician before additional
charges are applied. Some conditions
such as Incontinence may be caused by a medical condition and may be short
term. If you feel the facility is being unreasonable,
shop around and see what other facilities charge for similar situations.
Most facilities are very slow to charge additional fees and
most will discuss with you prior to charging them. I asked you to keep in mind your parent’s
health when they first moved in as compared to when the facility began charging
additional fees so you might have a better understanding of why there are
additional fees. If you don’t believe
your parent’s health has declined, make sure you get a medical opinion and then
discuss the situation with the facility.
I think you will find most facilities will be willing to work with you
if your parent cannot afford the increase as most do not want to lose a resident.
If would like a list Independent Living Facilities, Assisted
Living Facilities, Nursing Homes or any other type of Senior Facility, I hope
you will consider www.seniorfacilityfinder.com.
If you would like to contribute your thoughts and ideas,
please leave them in our comment section. We want to hear them. Helping people
care for themselves or their loved ones is what we care about.
We look forward to reading yours.
Bob Gregory is an advocate
for Seniors and is one of the founders of www.seniorfacilityfinder.com. At SeniorFacilityFinder.com, we are dedicated
to helping families get the Elder Care help they need without having to provide
their personal information! If find you need an assisted living facility or
other type of senior facility, please consider www.seniorfacilityfinder.com
