IN DEPTH: ELDER CARE
Consultants find senior care facilities so you don’t have to Personal care home brokers fill growing need for families - Tracy Carbasho
Consulting services are taking the confusion out of helping individuals find the most appropriate personal care home for their loved ones.
“I find out everything I can about a home, including its history, structure, professionalism, staff ratio, amenities and special services,” said Lynn Marting, president of the Lynn Marting Personal Care Home Consulting Inc. in Harwick.
“I use this information to recommend which homes family members should visit to find the one most suitable for the needs of their loved one.”
Ms. Marting said there is an increasing need for businesses that provide placement services because the number of homes in the Pittsburgh region is steadily growing, making it difficult for family members, caregivers and social workers to learn everything about each facility. The consulting/placement businesses do the necessary homework to make it a little easier for families to address the sensitive issue of placing their mother, father or other relative in a personal care or assisted living home.
“This is one of the most difficult and traumatic decisions a family will make and people usually don’t have any information until they are faced with the situation. It’s a lot easier for a consultant like me to sift through all of the details about the homes,” said Ms. Marting.
“Due to managed care today, residents are being sent out of hospitals a lot quicker, but they don’t want to go into a nursing home. Personal care homes are much cheaper and can do many of the same things that can be done in an intermediate nursing home.”
Ms. Marting, who has training as a social worker, started her business in 1992 and now has contracts with about 250 homes in Allegheny, Westmoreland and parts of Butler and Beaver counties. She is paid by the homes for her services so there is no placement charge to the individual or to the family.
She said smaller personal care homes can cost between $1,200 and $1,500 per month for a semi-private room, while larger, more elegant facilities can range from $1,800 to $2,100 per month. By comparison, she said some nursing homes can cost $5,000 or $6,000 per month.
The personal care homes, which include the assisted living and certain independent living facilities, are not covered by Medicare or any type of insurance. They maintain private-pay policies, whereas Medicare does pick up some of the cost for a nursing home stay.
Linda Herald, owner of Personal Placement, which has offices in Monroeville and Sarver, started her business in 1998. Today, she works with 197 facilities in Allegheny, Westmoreland and Butler counties.
“We show each family a few homes and then let them select one. We like to be sure that the individual who may be placed in a home and their family members see the facilities,” said Ms. Herald.
Ms. Herald and Ms. Marting go through a similar process when deciding what places might be the most suitable for an individual. They get referrals from social workers, family members, case managers and other caring individuals who are seeking guidance for an aging person.
