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Taking Care of Mom & Dad

South Florida Sun-Sentinel Aging parents, as well as spouses and other loved ones, naturally want to be as independent as long as possible. But when they have health concerns, they may need extra help. Here are resources to find that assistance in South Florida.

Living Options
If a loved one can't live with family, there may the need for a home companion or nurse to continue independent living. Other options are an assisted living facility, adult day care or nursing home.

Florida Health Finder: Find a companion or nurse through Florida's Agency for Healthcare Administration.
Florida Affordable Assisted Living: Find information about adult family care homes and assisted living facilities. Search available based on location, cost, services provided, and housing preference.
Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration: Find inspection reports for assisted living facilities. You must request them through public records at 850-414-6044 or e-mail PublicRecordsReq@ahca.myflorida.com
Long-term care planning tool: Helps a caregiver decide which type of care is needed for a loved one and how much you can expect to pay.
Florida's Long-Term Care Ombudsman: An independent advocate for nursing home and assisted living facility residents who works to solve problems between residents and nursing homes or assisted living facilities. The ombudsman also can give information about how to find a facility and what to do to get quality care.

What if Mom gets kicked out?

Nursing homes: Need to give only 30 days' notice prior to a discharge a patient, but residents can file an appeal within 10 days. The residents then can stay in the nursing home for 90 more days while the appeal is resolved.

Discharge: Facilities are not allowed to discharge residents for lodging complaints.

Assisted living facilities: Designed as a bridge between independent living and skilled nursing facilities, assisted living is less restrictive and less expensive than a nursing home.

Discharge: Complaints about discharges filed with the Long-term Care Ombudsman's office began rising several years ago, making the top 10 list in fiscal year 2005-06. Advocates say discharges over a resident's or family member's objection probably occur far more often than complaint statistics show.

Florida is one of 39 states that allow involuntary discharges "when a facility cannot meet a resident's needs," but most had no criteria for what conditions the facilities should be required to accommodate, according to a 2005 paper for National Senior Citizens Law Center.

"They can just say, 'We can't meet your needs' and off you go," said Eric Carlson, president of the Assisted Living Consumer Alliance advocacy group. "You get no hearing."

Assisted living residents should know:

They have less regulatory protection than those in nursing homes and can be asked to move out at any time, for any reason.
Their monthly fees can be raised even if they are on Medicaid waiver programs, as Medicaid does not pay for room and board.
They probably will be asked to leave if they develop certain medical conditions.

Questions to ask before moving in:
What happens in an emergency and how are returns from a hospital stay handled?
How are grievances and disputes handled?
What happens to residents who have a history of falling?
What will happen if a resident becomes incontinent or needs a wheelchair or oxygen?

To report complaints: Call the Long-term Care Ombudsman Council at 888-831-0404.

For more information: Assisted Living Consumer Alliance

Financial Resources

Services in an adult day care center or residency in an adult family care home or assisted living facility are most often paid by private funds. Some long-term care insurance may pay or a person might qualify for some help from government programs.

Florida Department of Financial Services: If you have a long-term care insurance policy, or are considering buying one, find out exactly what it covers, under what conditions you can receive coverage, any restrictions that might apply, and what you need to do when coverage is needed. To find out more, contact this agency, which regulates insurance in the state. Visit the web site or call 800-342-2762.
The Florida Department of Elder Affairs: Provides a variety of programs. For more information call 800-963-5337. The CARES Program (Comprehensive Assessment Review and Evaluation Services) evaluates elders to see what level of service they need and what programs are available.
The Florida Department of Children and Families: Takes applications and determines who is eligible for Medicaid, Medicaid Waiver programs, and Optional State Supplementation (OSS): 866-762-2237
The Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities: Helps people with developmental disabilities, including supportive living and Medicaid waiver. The Web site includes a list of area offices.
The Clearinghouse on Disabilities provides referral to state and community based programs for persons with a disability. For more information call 877-232-4968.
The Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs: Provides information and services, including an assisted living facility and nursing homes: 727-319-7400.