WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ASSISTED LIVING

If you decide that an assisted-living community is right for you or your loved one, take these steps to make sure that its fees, services and quality of care fit your needs.

- BY ROBYN A. FRIEDMAN

WHEN Charlie Gould realized it might be time to explore alternative housing options for his 81-year-old mother and her husband, the couple had already tried in-home assistance at their condominium in Boca Raton, Fla. But some falls and other incidents had concerned Gould, and he wanted to be proactive, providing additional support for his folks before the need became critical.

So Gould, 53, a communications executive in New York City, reached out to Candy Cohn, a senior living advisor with Oasis Senior Advisors in Parkland, Fla. Cohn holds the certified senior advisor designation from the Society of Certified Senior Advisors. To earn that certification, she had to pass a rigorous exam and complete an ethics module. Cohn, who describes herself as “a cross between a social worker and a real estate agent,” helps older adults or their families simplify the transition to senior living by learning about their needs and preferences, providing personalized options and information, and even taking future residents on tours of facilities that match their needs. Typically, a senior housing community will pay a senior placement advisor’s fee if the client decides to live there. A searchable database of certified senior advisors is available at https://portal.csa.us/locator.

After touring three communities with his mom and Cohn, Gould’s opinion of assisted-living facilities was transformed. “I thought they would be dreary, institutional and sterile,” he says. “But in many ways, they were the opposite. They felt like places I’d like to be when I’m a little older.”