Seattle Times: Seniors for Sale, Part 6

Posted on June 16, 2012

In yesterday’s post, a Seattle Police Detective defined elder abuse as:

• sexual abuse
• physical abuse
• financial exploitation
• neglect

In Part 6 of Seniors for Sale: Placement perils and successes, Michael Berens, Seattle Times reporter, delves into the senior housing placement industry, focusing on one placement company that placed a client in a Tacoma-area Adult Family Home (AFH) with a history of safety and health violations – elder abuse –  even a fatal event, but because the placement company had not done its research, it was not aware of the home’s previous infractions and kept placing unknowing vulnerable adults in the home’s care.

Many of these placement service companies operate state-wide and/or nation-wide, and believe that there is no way that they can help as many people as they do if they are required to visit each and every home/assisted living option available to the public that they are trying to assist.  These companies are oftentimes characterized as Bed Brokers – an industry that is growing exponentially without much scrutiny or State controls.

CAVEAT: Just as in every assisted living situation – there are good senior housing options and there are bad senior housing options – so too there exist reputable senior placement companies, and not-so-reputable placement companies.

I personally think that these companies can be helpful to those looking for a senior housing option that suits their, or their loved one’s, needs.  I caution those using these agencies, however, to understand that not every option out there is listed with placement companies.  If a senior housing company does not choose to be listed with a placement service company, that option will not be offered, even if that particular housing option might be the very best choice for some families: cost-wise, location-wise, and even service-wise.

In a news update, Michael Berens’ article, State gets tough on referrals for elder care, we see that attention is now being directed at these placement referral companies in the hopes that those they serve – vulnerable adults in need of some sort of daily care – are protected from those companies who are simply aiming to make a profit at the most vulnerable time in an elder’s life.

As I mentioned in previous articles found in my blog category, Senior Housing, there are numerous resources available for those looking for senior housing for themselves or a family member.  Please go to that category and type in a search term in the space located on the right-hand side of the page to find the topic that interests you most.