When it’s time to choose a long-term care facility, how can you be confident you’re making the right decision? How can working with an elder care coordinator in a Life Care Planning Law Firm make the process easier?
Cassandra Ignatowicz can answer these questions. As an elder care coordinator at LawyerLisa, a Life Care Planning Law Firm in Lexington, South Carolina, Cassandra is involved in residential placements every day. She believes that relying on the guidance of an elder care coordinator pays benefits families in four ways.
#1: More Data
Cassandra’s work with clients takes her into every long-term care facility in her area, which gives her valuable reconnaissance about each option. In addition to what Cassandra observes during her interactions with residents, staff, and administration in the facilities she visits, she keeps a close eye on each facility’s performance metrics, such as staff-to-resident ratios, turnover rates, leadership tenure, ownership data, and more. “The numbers don’t lie,” she said. “They can point to issues that could turn into problems. For instance, a staff walk-out may be an indicator of upper management issues or conflicts with the corporate office. An elder care coordinator at a Life Care Planning Law Firm can find these things out for you in advance, and then steer you away from facilities where there might be problems.”
#2: Better Fit
Because Cassandra has such detailed knowledge of the pros and cons of each facility in her area, she is better able to assess which options might be the best fit for her clients. Some people might prefer a large facility with plenty of lifestyle amenities and social opportunities, while others might prefer a smaller and more intimate living arrangement. “By knowing each facility, its layout, its cost, and how the rooms are set up, I can pair each client with the right facility,” she explained. “I might have some clients who want the Taj Mahal environment with high rises and lots of amenities, but there are others who prefer to be in a cozier 50-room facility on one floor.”
#3: Faster Placement
Working with an elder care coordinator who already knows the options, what they each offer, how much they cost, and whether they accept Medicaid makes everything go faster. “After I meet with a client and get to know their preferences, I can usually tell right away which facilities will be the best fit,” Cassandra said. “When you’re a family member who has never done this before, you don't know what you don't know. The process always takes longer and it’s easy to make mistakes.”
#4: Faster Problem-Solving
As an elder care coordinator, Cassandra also builds and leverages relationships with facility administrators that can pay off in important ways, especially if problems arise. “Like most elder care coordinators in Life Care Planning Law Firms, I know all the facility administrators,” she explained. “These relationships can help me get my clients get placed faster, and I can have more confidence that I’m putting them somewhere safe. I also know that I can go straight to the top if there are problems with care. We can nip these problems in the bud.”
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