My father is 94 and has been living in Everett, WA in Independent Living but requires a lot of help from my sister who lives in Snohomish and she is getting burned out. I am currently living in Guatemala but will be coming to Washington for the months of August and September. I am a retired social worker so have much more experience dealing with these issues so would like to give my sister a break and possibly make whatever changes can be made and look at the future placements. He is very stubborn and expects her or me when I am there to do things and is at times not nice to her. But is nice to others at times. He has a colostomy and ostomy bag which he takes care of himself, is hard of hearing but has a hearing aid which he doesn't want to wear most of the time and also he can hardly walk with a walker and falls frequently( broke his hip about a year and half ago, and refuses to use a wheelchair which he has. He will use it when we take him out but refuses to use it in the facility. I hope this is enough info and I will wait for your reply.
I've never had any contact with any, so I don't know too much about this practice area but I know others here have more experience.
When I need a new health care professional, I search through the directory of physicians affiliated with our preferred hospital, but I don't know if geriatric case managers have that kind of affiliation.
Our favorite hospital used to have a specialized center for elder care, but it was closed during some "re-evauation" period. Those physicians still practice, but not specifically in the center.
If your father has an internist, PCP, or other doctors in whom you have confidence, I would ask them, as we've found that typically doctors recommend other doctors we've found compatible.
If you do find someone through another source, it's always helpful to share that information back here - it at least helps me expand my knowledge base.
Thank you
You could do a google search for Assisted living facilities and (a) compare facilities in the Snohomish area as well as (b) determine whether they offer enough assistance to meet your father's needs.
If he needs a facilitiy a step up from AL, then change the focus of your search to those facilities.
I would make a list of everything you want to address in terms of background investigation (staffing ratios, joint ownership of the facility, activities, availability of pet, music or art therapy, etc.), then either you or your sister can contact the short list of facilities and visit them to see if they meet your needs.
I'm thinking that the fall potential, difficulty of walking with a walker and (excuse me for being blunt) stubbornness might indicate more attention than what could be provided in assisted living. I don't really have any experience with facilities more intense than that level of care.
There are many people here with more experience than I on differentiating the level of care needed, so hopefully they'll stop by and elaborate.
You're obviously methodical and are approaching this in a very rational manner, as well as compassionate in wanting to help your sister. That's not a quality too often seen!