Online-only “Placement” Company: Help or Harm?
Written by: Lisa Bayer, Esq., CCM, CDP
Having been a private care manager since 2006, I have spoken with scores of families over the years about the pros and cons of using a residential placement service for their family members who cannot receive the care that they need at home for one reason or another. However, there is one “placement” website that I ask, no I BEG my clients, to think carefully before sharing their information with the online company. For years I have warned clients that there is no personalized attention and that once they share their information it will sent far and wide to any facility that participates with them in the referral fee process. The effect is to make families even more confused and frustrated, and the less savvy, preyed upon.
Despite years of concerns among myself and other seasoned colleagues throughout the country, no one has seemingly taken our warnings seriously. Until now. Finally, the Washington Post caught on and this past weekend published a scathing report: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/05/16/place-for-mom-assisted-living-referral/
Needless to say, this is causing an uproar in the senior care assisted living world. Facilities depend on the referrals to reach their census. Care managers like myself do rely on “placement services.” But we depend on REAL people and REAL relationships. No one and no thing or care facility can be all things to all people. When an older person or couple decides to explore a residential facility it needs to approached with sensitivity and care. Most importantly, it needs to be deliberate. It is personal. Not just for the care recipient but for the family caregivers who, especially with a loved one with dementia, are often in the position of making these types of decisions for someone else. It’s a big responsibility and it needs to be addressed with careful consideration.
Whenever I’ve looked to purchase or lease a car I approach it methodically. Do I want an SUV or sedan? Electric, gas or hybrid? What is the all-in price (please do not tell me that you forgot to include the tax when I’m about to sign for the car lease)? What is the warranty? And if I need service does the dealership offer loaner cars? And the list goes on. We are talking finances, amenities, and safety for a car. The same goes for choosing a residential care facility but now we are talking about people, not an inanimate object. The stakes are so SO much higher. In New Jersey, residential care could be as high as $16,000 or more per person, per month. Quality of life is paramount. And in the end, the care that a person receives while living there could make the difference between a healthy, meaningful life or tragic death.
This is not to say that I do not work with placement agencies. I very much do! As a care manager it is against our code of conduct and ethics to have a dual financial relationship with another service provider while also working simultaneously as our client’s guide and advocate. I rely often on and work hand in hand with local placement counselors who I know and trust. They have the knowledge and experience of the intricacies of the facilities. For example, the tenure of the staff and the staff ratio is super important. When I see repeated turnover among staff mine, and my trusted placement counselor colleagues’, antennas go up. But an online service does not have access to, or frankly care about, the individual. They want to make their money any way that they can make it—even if it means not sharing or glossing over important information that could make or break the deal with a prospective move-in.
As the sherpa of all things elder care, LMR Elder Care offers a complimentary discovery call for prospective clients who want to learn more about our process and how care management can help you and your loved ones make informed care plans and decisions. Contact us @ https://www.lmreldercare.com/contact