Coming to terms with the fact that a family matriarch or patriarch needs professional senior care is not an easy admission. Establishing an assisted living arrangement presents another obstacle. This is where Felicia Marshall of Best Choice Senior Placement steps in.
Referred to as the ‘real estate agent of group homes’, Marshall, a registered nurse, runs a free referral, placement and consulting agency.
“Our goal is to help more seniors get out of situations where they are not receiving the optimal care that is best for them and to educate families that they do have options. They don’t have to leave a loved one in a subpar facility,” said Marshall who runs the agency with her husband William, a certified nursing assistant. “I think we’re a really good team…We’re small. It’s just him and I so we take things a little more personal than maybe a bigger corporation. Our clients aren’t just numbers they are people to us and we know all of them because it’s just him and I. Each home we can say we’d put our personal loved one in if we needed to.”
The personal touch continues as Felicia or William accompany clients on tours of group homes they recommend. Despite the agency only being in operation since June 2019, Felicia has always been passionate about assisting with senior living.
“I had been referring patients and family members to different facilities for as long as I’ve been a nurse which has been nearly 10 years. We just decided to turn it into a real business.”
She says when families are considering care options for a loved one these are the top 5 things to consider:
–What is the reputation of the facility? Is the facility licensed? What does the state say about the facility when they renew their license?
–What is the patient to caregiver ratio? Are there a lot of patients assigned to one caregiver per shift?
–Is the facility equipped to take care of a loved one’s needs? How do your needs align with what a facility provides?
–Where do you want your loved one to be? How easily accessible will family be in proximity to the facility?
–What can you afford for your loved one? Anticipate costs and other expenses. What does your budget allow?
Additionally, when it comes to making a final decision, Marshall says in her experience there is no set time table. It boils down to whenever a family feels comfortable enough.
“Some placements can take weeks where we are back and forth with the family because they may not be sure if they are ready for a placement. They’re just sort of thinking about it because of difficulties with caring for their loved one. Some placements we have done in as little as two days.”
COVID-19 has not impacted Marshall’s business as much as you would expect. Social media has drawn attention to her brand and she only refers clients to group homes with six patients or fewer. Due to this, families have still been able to tour a home after passing COVID-19 screening. She’s found better success consulting with smaller homes.
“I noticed my patients who were in smaller facilities had better outcomes than the ones in larger ones. I wanted to help guide people toward the smaller facilities that not a lot of people know about but provide great care.”
Marshall’s contact with clients does not end once they have been placed into a home.
“We follow up with every client to see how the placements have gone, if they are pleased with the facilities, if they are pleased with how their loved ones are treated. I love to get that good feedback…it makes it all worth it.”
For more information on Best Choice Senior Placement visit, https://www.bestchoiceseniorplacement.com/.
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