St. John?s Seniors? Aging Care Facility Tour educates seniors about options

Americans are living longer, which means more face the decision of whether to enter a long-term care facility than ever before. St. John's Seniors offers help for seniors who want to make informed long-term care decisions through its Aging Care Facility Tour program.

In April 2000, St. John's Seniors began offering the tours, which are one of 20 programs St. John's Seniors offers people 55 years and older.

Valerie Griffin, coordinator of St. John's Older Adults Services, was alerted to the need to educate seniors on choosing a facility by case managers and others at St. John's. They dealt with patients who had to make quick decisions on facility care without any thought or preparation.

Patients come in "with a stroke, heart attack or broken hip, and they don't have support to go home. They may have to place in a care facility until they are able to care for themselves at home, or they are going to have to relocate their residency. Often these people have to make these decisions in a couple days time, or in sometimes in the emergency room, in a matter of hours," Griffin said.

Such a dilemma also affects family members who often have to make a decision for older relatives unable to make the decision for themselves.

"We don't want these people having to make these decisions without education," Griffin said.

Collaborating with others, Griffin mobilized her resources and contacted facilities to participate in the tours.

"The program starting out doing probably 15 facilities and we do 21 now, Griffin said. "We feel like we're adding all the time be-cause the facilities find out this is great marketing for them."

The tour visits Springfield, Republic and Nixa aging care facilities of three kinds: skilled nursing, assisted living and independent living facilities. Tour members are in their 60s, 70s, 80s and even 90s. Some are interested in independent living, while others with failing health require daily medical care.

Griffin said the program is a comfortable way for seniors to learn about the different kinds of facilities and what they offer.

"I will either ask the questions for them or make it comfortable so that they can voice their own questions. This way, with their cohorts and peers, they freely ask questions," she said.

If a family member also is involved in making the decision, often they will go along on the tours.

The participants gather at 10 a.m. on the tour day on the parking lot of the Mid-America Cancer Center at 2055 S. Fremont, where a limousine bus takes them on a tour that lasts until 3 p.m.

Once aboard, each participant is given a spreadsheet comparing the participating facilities in terms of types of care, number of beds, staff, monthly charges, Medicare and Medicaid beds, and the inclusion of an Alzheimer's unit. A manual also is provided, which explains the types of facilities, payment options, fa-cility visitation and residents' rights, as well as checklists for the seniors to use in comparing the facilities visited.

"I take them to the first facility and we have a progressive luncheon. We start out with hors d'oeuvres," Griffin said.

Participants also meet and speak with employees.

"I find this the most effective way for people to get a sense of what the facility is like, its spirit and mission statement," Grif-fin said.

The tour proceeds to the next facility where lunch is served before the tour and the visits with employees. At the third facility, dessert is served.

At each place, participants meet the administrator, "so they have a face and a voice and a phone number that they can recognize. If they want to do follow-up questions, they're familiar with the administrator, social worker, the activity and admissions coordinators," Griffin added.

Program growth

Griffin has two full-time staff and 40 volunteers who run the office. The tours are offered four times a year. The tours of the 21 participating facilities are given in a seven-day period, with three facilities toured each day.

Each tour accommodates 30 people, and most choose to tour all seven days.

There is no charge to the individuals. The facilities pay for the limousine costs and food.

"It has been so popular that the tours are booked for the next couple of quarters. But we do our best to get everyone to do as many tours as they want to," Griffin said.

Tony Krider, administrator of Greene Haven in Springfield, which participates in the tour program, said it is a chance for people who may not visit a facility on their own to have an opportunity to do so.

"They need to look. It also gives us an opportunity to share information that they otherwise may not see or hear or read," Krider said.

Financing

The biggest factor in choosing a facility is cost, Griffin noted.

"A lot of them find out that it's expensive, and they find out they're not really financially prepared for that expense," she said.

But, she added, seniors may find if they add up all their current living expenses, the amount is comparable to the cost of living in an aging care facility.

"The main thing is that each individual needs to understand how much it's going to cost and how they're going to pay for it," Griffin said.

There also is the issue of what is covered, and not covered, by Medicaid and Medicare. On each tour, Griffin explains how Medicaid spend-down works.

"A lot of people may go into a facility thinking they will only be there a couple of years. They could be there 10 years and they could actually spend down all the money that they have. So they need to know what the state regulations are and the money amounts," Griffin said. Long-term insurance options also are discussed and further material is offered to those interested.

Jim and Erma Brown participated in a tour a few months ago to gather information for the time when they might need to make a decision about an aging care facility.

"I didn't realize there were so many," Jim Brown said. "You got a good idea, walking through, which you did like and which you didn't. It gave us information on each place, and it was just nice."

As for the number of tour takers who have made a decision to enter a facility based on the tour information, Griffin said "it's hard to track," but she added that if "they don't place immediately, they at least have the information to place in an emergency. The good thing is that it has encouraged the whole conversation about it, so it's not so threatening. It's a win-win situation all the way around. It's a win-win for the health system and our staff; for the individual in the community; and for the facilities," Griffin said.

Award-winning program

The Aging Care Facility Tour program has been successful locally and at other levels. It was selected as a winner in the 2001 National Health Information Awards, which honor the nation's best consumer-health information programs and materials.

Griffin was very pleased with the award for innovation and health education.

"From the colleagues that I have visited across the country, I don't see this duplicated anywhere."

The next Aging Care Facility Tour schedule has been set. Tours will be gi-ven April 2, April 4, April 9, April 16, April 18, April 23 and April 30 at various facilities, including James River Care Center, Greene Haven, The Montclair and Magnolia Square.

For specific tour times and locations, to make reservations or for further information, interested parties can contact St. John's Seniors.