Q: How do you help families find senior housing for their loved ones?
A: In the greater Birmingham area, there are more than a hundred communities across all of the levels of care, and it can be a huge feat for a family to sort through during a crisis.
As a registered dietitian, certified senior advisor and certified dementia practitioner, I have been helping families for a year-and-a-half to identify a few communities that are able to meet their needs based on care level, availability and budget. This saves them a lot of time and lets them focus on the best place for their family member.
Q: Why should people use a senior housing placement specialist?
A: I treat each client as if they were my own family member, exhibiting the same care and genuine advocacy that I would want for my loved ones. I want them to know that I’m here as a resource to help them.
The best part is that this is a free service. There is no cost to the family, so you really get an expert and an advocate on your side. I measure my success one client at a time.
My goal is to provide the best possible experience and result for each client, and when I am able to accomplish that and see the smiles on their faces, I know I have done my job well.
Q: How have you helped clients in the past?
A: I recently placed a client who is a veteran in assisted living. She was in a rehabilitation hospital recovering from a fall when I met her, and it was not safe for her to return home where she was living alone at the time. Her house was in poor condition, and she was not able to care for herself.
I helped her apply for the VA Aid & Attendance benefit, took her to the VA hospital, registered her for her health benefits and signed her up for the Home-Based Primary Care program. I found an assisted living facility in her price range and preferred location, toured it with her and helped her schedule a move-in date.
She is all settled in now and is in much better health. She has the socialization and help that she needs and overall has a much better quality of life. I still visit her often, as she really has become part of my family.
Q: How are you adjusting your services to keep your older clients safe in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic?
A: My service is very much the same as before. If it’s safer for someone to move into a community rather than staying at home, those are really the people that can make a move right now.
I am encouraging anyone who’s safe at home to stay there until it is safe for them to move. If it is necessary, however, I have a running list of all communities that are accepting move ins.
