Guerrilla Guide to Senior Living

The Guerilla Guide To Senior Living

This simple step-‐by-‐step guide is designed to provide a road map to help you navigate past the noise and glossy brochures of propaganda

to understand how to get it right. Whether you are looking for yourself or a loved one the blueprint remains the same with the goals of determining which senior living option is right for you and how to

choose a winner the first time.

10 Insider Tips To Give You The Edge

2 Title of the book

These insider tips will assist you in finding which community is right for you and your

family. Senior Living has become a complex maze designed to funnel you into certain

communities that may or may not be the best fit. Many focus on marketing (rather than

happy residents) with the assumption that you will not move again even if you are

unhappy due to moving fatigue. Ever walk into a community and see people asleep in

the lobby or congregated in front of a TV? That is the type of facility you may wish to

avoid. Arm yourself with this critical knowledge as part of your research process when

calling and touring. Let us begin.

This is the guide that most senior living provider’s don’t want you to read.

The Guerilla Guide To Senior Living: 10 Insider Tips To Give You The Edge

3


1) Surf Before You Walk.

Starting your search online before you hit the bricks is smart.

Just remember that corporations spend

massive amounts of money (from your rent) on their websites and on expensive internet advertising campaigns to get you on the phone and in person speaking to their trained marketing agents.

Based on location and pricing your goal is to

narrow the list of potentials down to 3. Consider checking out what reviewers say, not

what they say about themselves. Sites like Yelp.com and SeniorAdvisor.com and Caring.com give 3rd party opinions and are good starting points to see what actual clients have to say about the specific communities you are considering.

While anyone can post an unfair internet review

saying almost anything, look for majority opinions as well as if the community themselves responded to a negative review and how they responded.

A community that responds to comments in a

professional and non-‐defensive way is an indication that you are dealing with a community that cares. Communities that ignore reviews and feedback are possibly more likely to ignore you once they have your money.

Communities that respond now are likely to

keep on caring.

Social Media like Facebook is a great way get a sense of the community’s unique culture. Look for photos of residents and staff, recaps of events, and family comments. To see Sunnycrest’s Facebook page, search Sunnycrest Senior Living in your Facebook search bar.

Visit: www.SunnycrestSeniorLiving.com or Call: 714.992.1999 For More InformaAon.

4

Most people stepping into this world for the first time are lead to believe that all referral agencies are

selfless quasi-‐charity organizations with a personal touch and zero economic motives. While that is true for some, it is not true for others. Most national referral agencies do little more than put your personal info into a database and send

that to selected communities of their choosing. Their criteria for choosing one over another may not be what you think it is, or what it should be, which is finding the most appropriate home based on your personal and specific needs.

The truth is that some placement agencies use other questionable criteria, and virtually all of them get

paid a sizeable fee directly from the community if you move into a place on their list. Fees range from 50% -‐ 100% of your total fees of the first month (and now many charge a huge chunk of your 2nd month’s rent as well). Not exactly free or selfless.

Some skew the process on the phone by privately “encouraging” you to focus on a specific facility

for reasons that may be questionable. We annually test agencies just to see what they are doing and last year we explained that ‘Mom” lives

a few blocks between Sunnycrest and a nearby competitor and wants to stay within budget and within a mile of her current home due to the locations of her doctors and church. The advisor said she had a perfect place for “Mom,” and then pushed us to visit a certain huge corporate chain that not only was not only many miles away from her doctors and church, but it was in a different city entirely. It happened to be the closest location of a certain mega-‐corporation.

Draw your own conclusions. Excellent and reputable referral agencies exist and many do it the right way by giving you personal

attention and working to find the best place that fits your actual and specific needs. You may be shocked to learn that most of the national referral agency agents you may speak with have never ever actually even been in the buildings they are “recommending.” Ask the agent the last time they actually have been to the places they are recommending. ..

2) The Truth About Free Referral Agencies.



5

3) Get It Down To 3 Places.

Review websites and speak to friends, doctors, and family about positive or negative experiences with the goal of narrowing your tour list down to three places. Most people call the 8-‐10 places closest to them, ask basic questions, and then choose 5 places to visit based on this information.

That is a big mistake. The call is the most over-‐rated element of

this process. Why? Because the best places focus on the

residents, not the marketing calls, so as counter-‐intuitive as it is you might eliminate the right place simply because you were put on hold or the key person was unavailable (likely helping an actual resident or family) verses the community that has marketing-‐only staff focused on generating new revenue from you. Keep that in mind when you call. Choose the 3 communities based on these important factors:

•  Location •  Price •  Ownership

These are critical elements so let us break them down one by one.

Once you cut it down to 3

communities, use this checklist to

easily compare all your options side

by side.



6

Location: Location is critical for several reasons. First you want to be as close as possible to a respected hospital for very obvious reasons. The distance to travel to one in an emergency can make all the difference. Secondly physicians tend to have offices that surround hospitals so that just makes everything easier as a day-‐to-‐day matter.

Finally, you want to be where you are surrounded by life with restaurants, shopping, coffee, a post

office, and more within walking distance (even if you don’t do much walking). Being stuck in an isolated building away from life and action is a huge negative long term that you may regret, but more on that later.

Don’t play in traffic. Pick a community located off the beaten path. Older people tend to move slowly

and we know seniors and traffic do not mix. Dodging traffic is not what you want for your loved one. Better, and likely safer, to be located on a quiet street than to be on a heavily congested busy street with significant traffic, dirt, and noise.

Corporate America likes to place communities on the busiest streets possible for marketing

reasons, but do you really want to live in a home right off the freeway? Neither would we. But at the same time, you don’t want to be isolated. Choose a location that has useful places you can

walk to within a block, two at the most. It is great to stroll and stay active. Having a coffee shop, post office, and restaurants within walking distance on a quiet street makes it fun and easy to go out as you please, allowing you or your family member to maintain your freedom and independence.



7

Price: Pricing is a critical issue so I am giving it triple coverage. Biggest Myth of Senior Living: The “you get what you pay for” myth.

One dirty little secret in senior living is that many communities are chains owned by giant corporations publicly traded on the stock market. They serve their shareholders who seek and expect maximum profits despite whatever imagery their glossy marketing package intimates.

Ask twice about price. Call up and get specific prices before you visit.

Be sure to look for hidden costs. Ask everyone to quote a price on the exact same thing, for example, the price for a 1-‐bedroom with medication management. Then you will have a baseline apples-‐to-‐apples point of comparison from which to choose from. Be wary if they refuse to give you a specific price over the phone, or if they give you prices in a confusing way, like costs per day (designed to confuse you and make their fees not look horrific). Personally I would eliminate any place that insists you must come in just for a quote or “to evaluate” your needs. They know the answer no matter what they say. If you can’t get a straight answer, this is an indication as to how transparent the company is. I would run.

Know your actual budget. Decide on a realistic price range, allowing

for possible assisted living fees in the future, before your visit. Keep in mind that you will most likely be eliminating all food costs, all utilities (except phone), and cable (although some now pass the cost back to you). You’ll eliminate repairs, appliance replacement, and many other “emergency” bills. Also know that (here is dirty little secret number two…) nearly all communities have a 2-‐8% annual rent increase. This info should be readily available to you from the marketing people. They are required by the State to have a California rate disclosure form. Get it. If they do not have it then there is a problem. Even with that annual increase when you actually run the numbers, you’ll likely discover that living in a senior living community pencils out very favorably and many have said they wished you’d made the move much sooner.

Tip: Learn which companies have stock tickers and understand that included in their fees may be advertising for other communities, squeezed profits, boards of directors on salary (and/or with stock options), fancy headquarters and other hefty corporate fat. Decide if that is the best use for your money.



8

Importance of Ownership: Sunnycrest, by contrast, has been family owned and operated by the same trusted family that built it nearly 30 years ago. That is long term ownership dedicated to one community (the one you care about) where resident and employee happiness, safety, and longevity matters. The Executive Director, Executive Chef, and Maintenance Supervisor have worked at Sunnycrest for the same family for a combined 33 years. Ask the Executive Director or marketer you are speaking with how long they personally been at their specific location. The answer may shock you.

Ownership: Anyone can have a beautiful building on a safe street but that is really just the beginning of what you should be looking for. Buildings are just materials. What counts are the staff and if the ownership cares about the residents and the staff inside.

Do not underestimate the importance of pride

of ownership. Caring, stable, and experienced leaders and

owners who have stood the test of time are an absolute must.

A third dirty little secret of senior living is that

communities frequently get bought and sold and “rebranded” and the people you dealt with today may not be there tomorrow or have been there a year ago.

Good staff get kicked “upstairs” to Corporate,

and you are left with what you are left with. The best people leaving is the opposite of what you want as a resident or family member.

No one talks about this but it is common. This is

another area where being publicly traded may matter.

If possible try to visit all locations in one day so the differences will be clear. In the end each place will have a different culture they are trying to sell you. Trust your eyes (and nose) and what you actually see, not whatever constructed narrative they have been trained to tell you. So how do you effectively tour a community and get to see what it really is all about and if it suits you? Here are a couple tricks that give you the edge…



9

Most people call and ask if they can come in at a certain time. Big mistake. Tours are given any time someone walks in so when you have it down to 3 places list them starting

from the one furthest away from you and drive up and walk in unannounced. Do not call ahead. This way you will see the real operations and how things are normally. But even before you walk in drive around the neighborhood and see if inviting shops exist within a block and how far the closest hospital is.

Once you arrive you should have several goals for the tour. Focus on apartments, care, food, and

activities. Despite what you may be told, apartment size matters. Most marketers try to minimize this because apartment sizes have been shrinking in newer

buildings to jam in more rooms. The smaller the rooms the more residents the chains can squeeze in and the more profits they wring out. It is just math.

You may be told residents in small rooms will spend most waking hours out of their rooms in

activities. Nice try. The truth is, even with a great selection of activities, most seniors spend considerable amounts of time in their apartments and most do not want to live in a glorified closet. Most facilities then try to sell you on their community, not the apartment itself. This is the reason they emphasize that. Do you believe smaller is better? Neither does anyone else.

If you want your parent(s) to be happy, get them the biggest and brightest apartment you can

reasonably afford. The one you would choose for yourself. If it is for a lady seek out a walk-‐in closet. Men tend to care about the view. Each person is different so find out what is important and do not compromise. Remember that corporate marketers are trained to anticipate your concerns and taught how to negate them and get you to agree.

Trust your instincts and do not allow anyone to tell you they know what is best for your family

member more than you do.

4) Arrive Unannounced.

5) Bigger Is Much Better.



10

The old version of senior living is that it is where one went to die. Today

it is where seniors go to rejoin the living. Reality is that people live longer and their needs later usually change. You might be totally independent today, but next year want Assisted Living services.

These services can be add up, and there is also a little trick that may

blind-‐side you. Now is the time to understand the issues and choices.

Tip: Understand the care model of each community up front. Many people focus on the cost of the apartment and ignore the care

costs which they do not currently need, which is a mistake. As people age their needs change so consider the system and costs of

each. Once you are in you do not want to be surprised by costs and while most people prefer ignorance that is not a defense later on.

There are two basic models of care. The “Level” system vs. an ala carte

system. Most communities “bundle” their services and use either the Point or Level Systems. This means you may wind up paying for services you neither need nor want that are included in the level. This is corporate America’s favorite model because they charge you more and fatten up their profits. Look for ala carte pricing where you pick services, only pay for what you need, and stay in control.

Another key point you may not realize is that some communities move

you to a different wing or floor or building if you need care. They may or may not explain that to you up front. This is unsettling to residents as their apartments are their homes and to move just to cut staffing costs to the company is the opposite of what residents should expect.

At Sunnycrest we do not isolate people with care vs. those without or force you to change apartments for our staff’s convenience and economic benefit. It is a philosophical issue of respect to us.

6.) You Will Never Be As Young As You Are Today.



11

Tip: Ask if they mind if you can

randomly speak to residents, staff,

and family members. This is the ultimate form of research and very

important. Speak to the residents away from staff so they can be open.

If the staff tries to pick the resident you speak with take that as a bad

sign.

Tell the resident who you are and ask them how they are treated, how the

food is, how the leadership is, etc. Do not expect a perfect report card

but see if they give a mix of good and bad points, as that is more

credible. Truth is no place is perfect but residents themselves are often

the very best indicator of what you can expect.

Show up for the tour during lunch, the busiest

time of the day at any community, and ask to sit in the dining room and sample the same exact food the residents are eating. If you do not like it, neither will your Mom or Dad.

If your host hesitates to sit you or discourages

you from eating, run. Second, see if the staff is eating the food in the

front office. If there are no trays in the business office, they know something you don’t know and move on.

A final tip here is to see if any of the Chefs or

cooks walk through the dining room accepting feedback.

Most Chefs will not do so because they do not

want comments or criticism. If you see a chef walking the room that is a fabulous sign you found a place that actually cares if people are happy and adapts to their needs. If you ask me, that place is the keeper.

Look for clues that they are living in the present. Are there flat screens? Wii? Skype? There is nothing more satisfying than seeing a resident play Wii bowl a strike in a game with their grandkids.

Tip: Pick up the newsletter. The newsletter is the backbone of any community and it should be full calendar of interesting things to do. See what is on calendar for that day and check it out. If you see staff wheeling in disengaged people to make it look good because they know you are there, time to move on.

7.) Have a Bite with Open Eyes.

8.) Check For Signs of Intelligent Life.



12

Many giant corporations use the term “family” to feed the

illusion that they are the opposite of what they actually are. To find out how a place is run, ask to meet the owner.

If they are in a corporate headquarters out of state, know

that you will not be dealing with a “buck stops here” person in the future.

If an issue arises, you’re far more likely to get satisfaction

from a local owner even if they are not there daily. If there is an owner with boots on the ground who walks the building, attends events, knows staff, and eats the food, your odds of being happy go through the roof.

A few final important notes. If you are a pet person see if

they allow animals (and have a place for them to do their business) as not all allow.

Another is to see if they have a hospice waiver. Hospice

allows you to stay in the apartment under certain circumstances until the end.

Also find out if the Community holds religious services on-‐

site, which can be critical for some. And finally, the most important point is that the vast majority

of people who move in to senior living have a much better life. That is the clean little secret of all. They are well taken care of, eat well, are living with peers who understand them, and have social opportunities that provide a real life. For most it is truly a better life and the right choice.

At Sunnycrest, for example, dogs and cats are always welcome!

9.) Ask For The Owner.

10.) X-Factors.



Documents

Guerrilla Guide to Senior Living