FAQ

Placement Angel is a referral/placement agency and Placement Agents (we like to call them “Angels”) act much like a buyer’s agent in a real estate transaction. As such, we represent YOU and YOUR LOVED ONE at NO COST to you or them. We get paid a referral fee if you choose one of the long-term care facilities we suggest and we work with 99% of the options out there, so our goal is simple – to find the right PLACE, in the right LOCATION for the right PRICE.

With the exception of Independent-Living communities, long-term contracts are not allowed for Assisted-Living communities and home. All that is necessary to vacate any long-term care facility is a 30-day notice. Any long-term care facility can likewise give a resident a 30-day notice if they feel they can not handle that particular resident’s needs or if that resident is no longer appropriate for their community/home. Generally, most long-term care facilities try NOT to accept those they feel they can not handle, but, as they DO want to keep their beds full, sometimes they do not consider all the variables. Hence it is EXTREMELY important to consult your Placement Angel Specialist BEFORE contacting any options found online or suggested by friends/family to discuss the particular needs of you/your loved one. This will help avoid costly errors that occur when the wrong long-term care facility is picked.

The 3 ways long-term care is paid for in AZ is via private funds, ALTCS (AZ state Medicaid), or long-term care insurance, although very few people have that. In addition, there is a little-known benefit through the VA known as Aid and Attendance which can also serve to reimburse Vets and/or their spouses needing assisted living. With both Medicaid and VA options, individuals seeking financial support are required to qualify both financially AND medically. It is important to note that often, individuals have been told that they DO NOT qualify, and sometimes by the VA and/or state agencies themselves. However, it is still important to consult your Placement Angel Specialist as exceptions DO exist and often, other qualifying factors have not been taken into consideration that are NOW present.

In order to receive ALTCS, an individual must meet certain financial AND medical requirements. Although Placement Angel does not work directly with ALTCS and hence, CAN NOT assure you/your regarding qualification, generally speaking, one must have less than $2000 in liquid assets and make less than $2,350/month for a single person. Placement Angel, does, however, work with those that can assist with the qualification process and consulting of such. Please note that if someone is healthy enough to live in Independent Living, they wil usually NOT qualify for ALTCS.

Those that have recently applied to ALTCS are considered ALTCS-pending. As a general rule, the larger communities will NOT accept those in this situation unless they can pay privately until they are approved on ALTCS. Care homes are more apt to accept ALTCS-pending clients, but consider many factors, such as:

• How likely the care home feels the client is to be accepted by ALTCS.
• How much the client can pay while they are pending approval by ALTCS.
• The acuity of the case. In some cases, those with higher acuity are viewed as positive because in theory, they are more likely to be approved, at least for the physical assessment piece. Also, ALTCS contracts tend to reimburse more for higher acuity cases.

Most long-term care facilities still expect payment while approval is pending. 6-8 weeks is an average length of time for the approval process, so 2 months of private pay is generally required. The approval process can, however, take much longer.

Once a client decides on a long-term care facility, Placement Angel will coordinate the paperwork and transportation between the discharging facility and the long-term care facility chosen. Actual payment and resident agreement paperwork is handled between you/your loved one and the long-term care facility.

Absolutely. We will try and narrow down options to the best 3 options for you/your loved one. Our job is to identify potential matches, and your job is to pick the long-term care facility. With how insurance and Medicare operate, we generally are called to locate appropriate placement within 72 hours or less.

Some long-term care facilities take a deposit and some don’t. A lot depends on the timing. Care homes, for instance, will usually NOT hold an open bed for longer than 7-10 days or so without a deposit. That deposit is generally applied to the first month’s rent, but not always (each home is different). The larger communities generally require a 1-time Community Fee to move in, and often this is required around the time they choose that community. Community fees are generally non-refundable once financial possession of the apartment/room is taken.

Each state has its own licensing department. In Arizona, for example, The Arizona Department of Health Service (DHS) regulates and inspects all assisted-living options and other care homes in the state. Those inspections are a matter of public record and can be found on www.azcarecheck.com. There is also a 3rd party nurse assessment that is done every 3-6 months for each resident in assisted-living and higher. This is part of the check and balance system that the state has established.

As with anything, there can be “bad apples.” Placement Angel takes every precaution is making sure we only suggest places we feel comfortable requesting. This comfort comes from experience, state records and reviews, customer feedback, etc. AZ, for example, has over 2,000 long-term care facilities. One main reason for allowing Placement Angel to represent you is so that we can help direct you to the most appropriate options.

As with anything, there is a wide spectrum of options that range from low-budget to very luxurious. Placement Angel will direct you to options that not only fit withing your budget, but also fit the needs of the one needing care.