Boston Area - Assisted Living Alzheimers Care

[buzz5985]

Looking for any advice/review of Assisted Living in the North of Boston area that offers an Alzheimer's care wing (locked unit). Dad has Vascular Dementia and has a turn for the worse. He was living with me, but now began to wander at night etc. So my home is no longer safe for him.

We are currently looking at Sunrise in Burlington and a new facility Brightview in Billerica. Any advice, recommendations are appreciated.

Janis

 

[buckler]

I'm not in your area, but I went through this with my father a few years ago.

One tip is to check the inspection report and complaints for the facility. We eliminated a few assisted living/Alzheimer care facilities based on information in the state report. Some places had things such as falls not being reported to family members, blood sugar not being measured correctly/reported when out of range etc. For Massachusetts it appears you have to request each facility's report in writing. I was lucky and my state had the records online.

How to Request Inspection Reports in Massachusetts
Pertinent info from above link:
Massachusetts Assisted Living Facilities Inspections and Complaints

Inspections in Massachusetts are performed by the Executive Office of the Elder Affairs. Inspections are performed every two years. To request a copy of an inspection report or a copy of any complaints you can fax the executive office of Elder affairs at 617-727-9368. You can also send a written request to Maggie Dionne, Executive Office of Elder Affairs,1 Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108. You may also call to file a complaint or get more information by contacting the long-term care Ombudsman at:

* Mary McKenna, State Long Term Care Ombudsman
* Massachusetts Exec Office of Elder Affairs
* 1 Ashburton Place 5th Floor Boston, MA 02108-1518
* Phone: (617)727-7750 Fax: (617)727-9368
* Toll Free: 800-882-2003 (MA only)

If your father's health declines further and he requires skilled nursing care in a nursing home, reports for these are online here:
Nursing Home Reports (does not include assisted living facilities)

Note that an assisted living facility and a nursing home are not the same thing. An assisted living facility does not provide skilled nursing care.

 

[TinkerbEllnor]

sent you a PM

 

[golfgal]

I agree with contacting the local Ombudsman. They are a wealth of information in situations like this. Also, have you looked into the cost of assisted living and do you know how you are going to pay for it? It isn't cheep.