A recent article published in the Washington Post portrays a very biased picture of assisted living communities. The writer is a former Zen monk and journalist. I encourage you to read the article and take note of the facts that were left out of his side of the story. The…
There are approximately 44 million Americans who are caring for an elderly loved one. A recent article written by Terry Savage and published in the Chicago Sun Times cites that between one and two million people over the age of 65 have been abused by someone who cares for them.…
I recently worked with a family whose Dad contracted an infection in his foot. The infection lead to further complications coupled with the fact that he had mid-stage Alzheimer’s disease. He was using his Medicare days in a nursing home. His wife was very dissatisfied with the care he was…
I recently experienced one of the most difficult placements since the opening of my business in 2006. Members of a family contacted me to place their elderly relative who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and disruptive behavior disorder. My prospect was 88, frail, ambulatory, prone to slapping other residents at the…
One of my prospective clients asked me if any of my placements had ever not worked out. I responded, “Yes, only once–early on in the years I have been conducting placements.” Here’s what happened. My client was a baby boomer whose part-time occupation required intermittent air travel during the week.…
My client is one of a large number of siblings who were searching for a high end continuing care retirement community for their mother. Mom was in her early seventies, living independently, and driving. She owned a second home where she lived during the winter months. She could afford an…
My prospects were a 45 year old baby boomer and her mother. Her mom lived in her own home where the neighborhood wasn’t changing for the better. The mother was 78 years old, totally ambulatory, mentally alert, and had Parkinson’s disease. The daughter lived in a suburb that was a…
I have so many fond memories of my dad and his dry but delightful sense of humor. He wasn’t athletic and once managed to pitch a hard ball through a picture window while practicing baseball with my brother. He told my mom, “Well, I never told you that you married…
My client had travelled to Florida to bring her parents back to Chicago to live. On the way home, my client’s elderly father suffered a heart-attack in the car and died in a hospital in Tennessee. To make matters worse, this happened over the Thanksgiving holiday. My client’s mother has…
My client is 85 years old and a former resident at an independent living community that fits his very limited budget. He is ambulatory with a cane, but uses a scooter when he becomes tired. He takes medication for depression. He is fortunate to have a very devoted nephew, who…