It Takes a Village

Since yesterday, I've been busy on the phone to various organizations and agencies, trying to cobble together a list of options for senior living situations that will eventually be shaped into a plan for transitioning Bill out of his place and into a new one.

Here's what I learned:

1. "Senior Housing" generally refers to apartment buildings that house seniors. It does not include an "assisted living" component, and most residents of such places are younger and more active than Bill is.
2. "Assisted living facilities" tend to be privately run and provide different levels of care. One place I talked to yesterday, which specializes in "memory care," which sounds like a euphemism for Alzheimer's, charges its residents $8,000 per month!
3. The Veterans Administration has a number of housing facilities, the best of which is located in Yountville, CA (Napa County). I spoke to a guy named Dick Sutton about the process for applying and the odds of getting in and received lots of information. In summary, you want to get into this place while you can still live independently. Don't throw around any medical jargon (memory problems, etc.), as this will severely decreases your chances of getting in. "Let the medical report and records speak for themselves," advised Dick. I will be sent a copy of the application and it could take up to a year on the waiting list before getting in.

Today I exchanged emails with a woman named Colleen Jensen of Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care who connected my dad with  a woman named Heather who is setting him up with "Chore and Personal Care Assistance." The website says: "Services are provided by individuals to elderly persons who need outside help to maintain independent living. Chore is for purposes of household support and applies to the performance of household tasks rather than to the care of the client. Personal Care provides assistance to maintain bodily hygiene, personal safety, and activities of daily living."

This is a great relief! I am starting to feel incredibly grateful to all of the state agencies and nonprofits who make it their mission to support the aged and vulnerable!