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My 93 year old mom has used CPAP for 20-30 years and can handle it independently. She recently moved into assisted living and they say they are required by law to charge $323 extra per month because they are "ultimately responsible for it". Have other folks had this experience, and is this truly state law (Washington)?

The adult foster care my husband was in charged an extra $500 a month for his cpap. So he did without it for a year. Now he is back home and I manage his sleep needs
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Reply to gwinnyb
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You cannot argue with AL fees assigned to certain medical needs, especially in corporate owned facilities like Brookdale who specifically look to upcharge you for piddly little things. I moved my folks out of Brookdale into a privately owned AL after the charges and incompetence became staggering. That was me giving Brookdale the middle finger to all their greed, and finding a much nicer, much better run, and less expensive, AL for my parents.
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Reply to lealonnie1
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This seems a bit much. As long as you have the name of the company and service reps/techs number... it should not be their responsibility to "fix" her equipment. You might want to consider getting her doctor to prescribe an oxygen concentrator for use if her CPAP has problems.
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Reply to Taarna
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There is no specific Washington state law that automatically requires assisted living facilities to charge extra for CPAP use. However, assisted living facilities are regulated under Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 388-78A, which requires them to assure resident health and safety. Some facilities interpret this to mean they must check or assist with CPAP equipment, even if the resident is fully independent, which leads to extra charges.

The $323 monthly fee is likely a facility policy rather than a state mandate. You could ask for the specific law or regulation the facility is citing, if the fee can be waived since your mother is independent, and for a breakdown of what the fee covers (e.g. cleaning, staff checks, emergency response).

If needed, you can also call the Washington Long Term Care Ombudsman Program for help advocating. (800) 562-6028 or www.waombudsman.org.

I hope this helps a little.
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Reply to HaveYourBack
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juliasylvia: Geaton provides excellent advice. Thank you, Geaton.
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Reply to Llamalover47
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I suspect, as others have said that the AL facility requires their NURSE to inspect and possibly clean your mother's CPAP equipment. Most CPAP manufacturers recommend DAILY cleaning of the head gear and mask and WEEKLY cleaning of the rest of the machinery and hoses. These tasks can be learned by their home-health aides, but may not be delegated for a number of reasons. That they charge you over $80/week for this service (and assume that you mother either cannot or does not manage this herself) is not at all surprising. That doesn't mean you can't contest the fee or negotiate it using a waiver of responsibility for the facility.
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Reply to Pathfinder
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Has a social worker or ombudsman assessed for mother’s situation for her required care?
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Reply to Patathome01
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Call their bluff and ask them to show you the exact text in the exact law that "requires" them to charge for it.

I've used a cpap for several years now. It's not like I'll die if I don't use it every night or for a while. I'll get crappy sleep but I won't die... so not sure what the worry is for facilities. I think it's a lame excuse to charge people.
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Reply to Geaton777
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Can she sign a waiver that absolves the AL of any liability related to the CPAP? Seems like managing it would be an added cost, but she should be able to choose to be responsible for it entirely in AL. Some folks don't use any of the EXTRA services in AL.
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Reply to ShirleyDot
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I can't speak to the charge itself or even the law. But I can see where they are coming from as far as "ultimately responsible for it". You say that your mother can handle it independently - but does that mean that she can put water in the reservoir and turn the machine on? Or does that mean she can take it apart and clean it thoroughly as expected, order supplies, change hoses and masks etc?

There is a distinct difference between being able to pull the mask on your face when you are ready to use it and ensuring that the machine is properly maintained. And in you have an improperly maintained CPAP it can be incredibly dangerous to the user's health.

If she was in a nursing home - it would likely be part of the cost - I know it was for my FIL. But at assisted living, a lot of things are "a la carte" for a reason.
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Reply to BlueEyedGirl94
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I doubt (but that can easily be checked with your state board governing long term care, if you call them) there is a LAW about the AMOUNT of the charge, but I have no doubt that there is a charge made for the monitoring required by law of any such device. They as a LTC facility allowing a patient who needs a breathing-assistive-device in, must provide adequate staff to check on the person as regards if it is being worn and worn correctly.
CPAP is used so that a person requiring it doesn't go into periods of apnea. It's serious business and the older one gets the more serious in that it is more frequently inadvertently removed, mal-adjusted, etc. The care plan of your mom will include instructions as to how often this device must be checked.

I would be surprised if they have hired another person responsible for these checks, and can't imagine why it would cost almost 400.00, but there you are. They make the rules. And your saying you don't LIKE or agree to the rules will have them quite quickly saying that your loved one is perhaps best to move to a facility that an meet your needs. A nice way of saying "our way or the highway".
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Reply to AlvaDeer
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igloo572 Mar 18, 2025
Alva, the elder is in an AL not a SNF. There may not be staff with the skills or background to do the specific checks needed for the machine.

AL staffing in some States can be that there only is a requirement that there is an RN available for oversight. So literally the RN can be remote and doing FaceTime or Zoom and that is 100% ok for oversight. Frightening isn’t it! Now a SNF / NH, they have to deal with the machines as part of the residents overall care. It would be like dealing with a peg line. It’s like what BlueEyed described.
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