6 Questions to Ask While Touring any Assisted Living Home…

1. How are you licensed? If licensed, this should be displayed in lobby area.

 Bishop Hills:            Licensed as a Home for the Aged for 47 beds since January 1996

 Other Homes:            Depends –

LICENSED, assisted living in Michigan has two different licenses – Home for the Aged or Adult Foster Care (AFC).  The differences are minor between the two, but licensing requires that these homes all have 24 hr awake staffing that provides meals, housekeeping, laundry, and assistance with dressing, bathing, and medications in private or semi-private rooms. 

UNLICENSED, the operation of the home has no oversight from State of Michigan other than meeting fire code requirements of the local fire department and the Department of Public Health standards if there is a kitchen.  Generally unlicensed homes would be for persons still  safely handling their medications, meal needs and may be driving.

2. What will be the monthly cost of LICENSED assisted living in Kent County?

(Medicare covers payment for ‘skilled nursing’

services and therapies, not the monthly fee for assisted living.)

 Bishop Hills:            Semi-private starts at $1840 Private Room starts at $2885

Other Homes:            Semi-private $1500 - $2400/mo   OR  Private Rooms $2400-$3200+

Unlicensed Homes:            A wide range of costs from HUD subsidized to private pay

Nursing Homes:            Semi-private room $4500 - $7000; Medicaid primarily covers cost.

If you are a veteran or a spouse of a veteran, please call me for the name of the AMVETS staff person that can answer your questions about financial assistance.  Susan at 616.866.2002

3. How many staff are on your payroll?  How many have been here over 2 years?

 Bishop Hills:            Usually 42-45 staff on Payroll; Chart shows the year we hired each of current staff since we opened in January 1996: Maintaining quality, friendly staff is a priority for us.

Why this question is so important vs asking about staff to resident ratio?

If I tell you a ratio, then I need to be very clear about what that includes ie caregiving staff plus support staff; does it include the use of agency help; schedule vs actually staffed may have a variance.

Longevity of staff is difficult to maintain in this industry and is a better source of information.  If a home has good staff retention, that is a source of pride.  The actual number of staff on payroll will affect routines such as bathing.  Are all the baths/showers done early morning or late evening accommodating an active schedule in the home?  Or are they throughout the day, because they maximize the use of fewer staff.? This is not a normal life pattern.

Longevity, such as Bishop Hills has, means staff contentment and commitment.  Longevity promotes friendships.  Friends do not call in sick unless they are sick. Instead, friends trade shifts to accommodate family needs.  A contented staff is a sure sign of a caring staff.

Longevity of staff means we never hire a new caregiver expecting that they would learn our building, everyone's name AND pass medications the first few days.  A Bishop Hills caregiver must work several weeks before they are trained and qualified for medication passing. 

Most important, longevity of staff means residents don’t have to repeat their problems/special needs/habits to new staff regularly.  After a few times of that, the resident typically withdraws. A contented staff with longevity is the basis for creative energy used to improve quality of life for the residents.  

Other Homes:            Depends, but if a home can’t answer the questions it must not be a priority.  Ask if the home use temporary agency staff to supplement their staff?  Bishop Hills never uses an agency for staff.

You can be given a staff ratio but that doesn’t really give you the information you want to make your decision.

4. How is communication between resident, family, doctor and therapists documented, shared and used?

Bishop Hills:            Maintains a shift-to-shift log and resident charts.  In addition, Bishop Hills maintains a unique computerized resident information database.  Each caregiver has one report that tells the goals & special interests, needs, therapy, needed treatments and days for changing bed linen, washing personal laundry and bathing.   All reports are returned daily with necessary edits of information. This system easily integrates, updates and stores the information received from the resident, family, staff, doctor and therapists.  The resident is left at NO disadvantage whether a caregiver is part-time, returning from vacation or working a different shift.  During a tour, you can see this unique communication system at Bishop Hills.

Other Homes:            Usually homes maintain a shift-to-shift report and resident charts.

5. Is there an activity program?

Bishop Hills:            Most of our activities are developed in creative ways that allow our resident to remain connected and active in the community.  Here are A FEW examples:

·        Kim’s Knitters: Weekly, a staff volunteer rekindles or teaches knitting/crocheting  of small squares that connect for baby blankets or shawls.  The afghans are shared with North Kent Service Center, new dads on navy deployment or new moms at United Memorial Hospital.  The shawls are created for international friends in a nursing home in Dominican Republic.

·        Ceramics:  Weekly, residents work on items for themselves or to be used as gifts.  Everyone helps make the annual gifts for volunteers.

·        Navy Support Project:  Each dining room table has a photo of a deployed ship and the table prays daily for the crew of that ship.  This has evolved to shipments of over 6500 cookies, 9000 treat bags decorated by students and 24 baby afghans since 9/11.

·        Chimers: A staff volunteers weekly to teach chiming and new songs for monthly road shows to entertain others.

·        Bingo is enjoyed by residents each evening Monday through Friday

·        Many, many more opportunities are available, from playing cards to watching travelogues.  The biggest problem at Bishop Hills is not enough time and sometimes the residents have to make choices because of scheduling…it is a wonderful problem.

Other Homes:            Staff should be able to show you a calendar of activities.

6. Is the facility homelike?  Home is more than décor and looking for the right qualities requires a visit just before the typical mealtimes of Noon or 5 PM.  The worst time to tour is 2 PM when residents are napping.

 Bishop Hills:            The staff longevity contributes to staff and residents knowing each other’s family and friends and creating an ‘extended family’.  Bishop Hills has many traditions with big events i.e. Deck the Halls, Family Pig Roast, Color Tour, Anniversary Party, Spring Ball.  Simpler traditions include prayer before each meal, a Remembering Service after each death, Sunday prayer service and individual birthday tributes. 

Other Homes:            Each home has its own personality.  Just remember to time your visit near a meal because you can see where you/your loved one would fit in, observe the rapport between staff & resident, sense the level of camaraderie.  Also, you will see what the meal is, how it is served and how residents are assisted.