When the Facility Says No

When it comes to elder care, many of us would like to believe that our parents will be taken by a nursing home or assisted living facility no matter what. However, what do you do if the facility refuses to admit them or denies them a place in the residence? Where do you go from there? Shouldn’t they take our loved ones no matter what?

The sad truth is that an assisted living community can, in fact, turn our loved ones away and deny them residence. However, it may be done for a perfectly legitimate reason, such as your parent needing more care than that particular facility is able to provide to them. If that is the case, they will most likely refer your parent to a skilled nursing facility—which is the same as a nursing home. Another reason for them to deny your loved one is if either they or you are unable to pay for the costs of living at the facility. So if you cannot pay, then they may refuse to let your loved one in. 

However, very often, many assisted living communities have waiting lists. So even though he or she may not have been flat-out denied, it may be a while before your parent is able to move into the facility. Keep this in mind as you begin to prepare for your elder to eventually need to move to a long-term care facility.

This may seem incredibly obvious, but it would also be helpful to have a list of multiple facilities before you start. That way, if the facility happens to deny your loved one, you have more than just a single option that you can work through. This can help to alleviate some of the worry and stress that can come with making such a life-altering decision, and it can also help to make the shopping process much smoother.