Very recently, a Pennsylvania-based senior care facility announced that it would be closing.
This raises a lot of questions, the biggest of which is: what happens to the people that were being assisted by this organization?
Obviously, this is not a situation that anyone wants to find themselves in. Transitions are almost never easy but when it comes to senior care, they can be especially difficult. But when you add in the unknown factors and outcomes that can arise in a situation like this, they are exponentially more difficult and can be downright scary for those that are directly impacted by the changes.
It’s important to understand why a care facility might be forced to close its doors. The Pennsylvania facility mentioned here cited a few reasons, including difficulty finding and keeping employees, inflationary gains in the economy, and difficulty with access to funding and grants. Unfortunately, these are common problems across the entire care industry. These issues were present before the pandemic began, but since then they have only become more pronounced. According to one resource, over 400 nursing homes and over 200 care facilities have closed since the beginning of the pandemic.
One way that you can help avoid this on your end is to do some research prior to selecting a care service. Now, things are always subject to change, especially during turbulent times, but a service with a strong history of financial stability, a good workforce, and high quality care is more likely than a service that doesn’t have this same track record to weather out tough times, regardless of what those times might look like. History doesn’t always accurately foretell the future, but it can give you a basic idea of how future situations might be handled.
In most cases, the care facility that is closing will help connect each individual with a new resource. In some cases, residents or families need to do this themselves. Unfortunately, this can lead to less than ideal situations. Some seniors can even end up homeless if this transition does not go well.
You can help avoid this. Speak up for your loved one. Advocate for them. Be involved in their care.
We’re here for you. If you have senior care needs in your family or just have a few questions about what senior care is and how it might help you out in the future, give us a call or email. One of our favorite things to do here at Paradise In-Home Care is help in these sorts of situations and help families get steered in the right direction. That’s why we offer a free consultation session. It’s designed to answer your questions and address your concerns in a no-risk, no-pressure setting. There’s no obligation to use our services, although we are always thrilled when people feel that this is the best option for them. We want to help in whatever way we can because we know how stressful and difficult this topic can be for people.
So please, reach out today if there’s anything we can do to make your care journey a little bit easier.
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