Assisted Living FAQ

Considering Assisted Living for a Family Member?

Questions About Assisted Living
Choosing the best assisted living program for our loved one
Completing the admission process
Caritas House Specifics

Questions about Assisted Living

What is assisted living?
Assisted living is for seniors who require some help in performing daily activities and can no longer live independently. Assisted living provides seniors with a residential community, supportive services, and personalized assistance with activities of daily living, including meals, bathing, toileting and dressing. Medication management, housekeeping, laundry, recreational and cultural activities are also provided. A licensed nurse is on-site eight hours a day, 7 days a week. A Registered Nurse is on call 24/7 and visits the facility weekly to provide oversight and assess the residents as required.

Is my loved one in need of assisted living services?
The inability to cook, dress and take medications as prescribed are among the reasons for seeking admission to an assisted living facility. About half of assisted living residents have some level of dementia and exhibit some forgetfulness and confusion. Many frail seniors have limited social contact or feel unproductive, which can lead to loneliness, isolation, even depression. Caritas House provides a secure, homelike environment for individuals too frail to care for themselves.

Do you have to be Catholic to be a resident of Caritas House?
No. Caritas House proudly welcomes and serves people of all faiths and races.

How can we pay for the monthly cost of care?
Residents pay the flat monthly rate with their personal resources. For those who qualify, subsidy from the Medicaid Waiver is available.

What are the visiting hours?
Since this is the resident’s home, visiting times are flexible. We ask that you keep in mind the resident’s schedule and plan your visits accordingly. Most visits occur between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Can I take my parent away from the community?
Of course. You are more than welcome to take your loved one out of the building. We ask that you let us know when you are leaving and when you expect to return so that we may properly plan for the resident’s meals and medications.

What is the best way to introduce my loved one to the idea of assisted living?
The idea of moving to an assisted living facility can be uncomfortable for the family and the potential resident. One way to introduce someone to Caritas House is to bring them to our Second Tuesday Tea, held at 2:00 pm on the second Tuesday of every month. Our guests visit with residents and enjoy tea, dessert, and entertainment. Afterwards, guests are invited to tour the facility. Many find this to be a social, non-threatening introduction. If you would like to come to tea, please call us at 410-646-6600 to a make reservation.

How long does it take from application to admission?
The time required varies greatly. Some potential residents need months to prepare for the move. Others need to move in fairly quickly. Depending on room availability, it is possible to move in within two weeks of completing the three-part application. Click here to view the process.

Choosing the best assisted living program

Determining the appropriated level of care needed will be important because not all assisted living facilities offer all levels of care. The admissions coordinator can probably give you an estimate of level of care when you describe the person’s needs, but in order to get the actual level, a Physician’s Assessment and the activities of daily living form are needed.

Ask about the quality of the services provided, especially services of special interest to you, such as:

Physical setting
Types of apartments available
Religious preference,
Special Needs: dementia services, special diets, accommodations for couples, etc.
Activities offered
Medical services offered: availability of physician, transportation to medical appointments, nursing staff available, etc.
Other services available
Available amenities
Security
Fees – note that some assisted living facilities have a base rate and add on for many of the services while others have a flat fee.
Most assisted living facilities invite you to visit the facility months before the move is likely to take place. It is usually easier for the potential resident to make the decision over a period of months.

Caritas House invites interested parties to come to a Second Tuesday Tea every second Tuesday of the month at 2:00 p.m. After the tea, guests are invited to tour the facility. Please call for reservations.

Note: In some cases, older adults may benefit from Senior Support Services, a program that provides residents with meals and assistance with housekeeping, laundry and personal services, which costs far less than assisted living.

Completing the Assisted Living Admission Process

In most cases completing the medical and financial evaluations will take place simultaneously. The medical evaluation generally includes:

Physician's assessment form, which is used by all assisted living facilities in Maryland. Ask your physician to complete the form and give it to you. Then you can give copies to any assisted living facility you are considering. Once you select the appropriated one you can give them the original if they want it.

Activities of daily living form, which asks about the amount of assistance the future resident needs. An admissions officer may fill this out with help from the potential resident or a family member. At Caritas House, we request that someone who knows the potential resident well, complete the form and send it to us with the Physician’s Assessment.

Individual Nursing Assessment: Most assisted living facilities, including Caritas, will want their delegating nurse to assess the potential resident before acceptance.

Financial Assessment

There are four ways to fund the costs of assisted living:

private pay
long- term care insurance
the Medicaid Waiver program
the Senior Assisted Living Group Home Subsidy program.
If the resident or resident’s spouse served in a war, the VA may also help.

Medicaid Waiver Program

In order to qualify for financial assistance through the Medicaid Waiver Program (a form of Medical Assistance) the applicant must qualify medically and financially. Medically the person must need the “level of care” provided in a nursing home. Financially, the applicant must have assets of $2500 or less. If approved for the program, the recipient will have to pay all of his/her monthly income, except $60 retained for personal items, to the assisted living facility. The Medicaid Waiver Program will pay the difference between the recipients’ payment and the negotiated rate allowed to the assisted living. There is a long waiting list for making application to the Medicaid Waiver Program. Not all facilities accept Medicaid Waiver participants, and the assisted living facilities that do accept them often limit the number of participants they can accept because the negotiated rate is less then their operating costs.

Senior Assisted Living Group Home Subsidy

This financial assistance pays a monthly amount of $550 to participating assisted living facilities housing 4 to 15 residents. The program is administrated through the city or county Agency on Aging when funds are available.

The facilities you are considering will require full financial disclosure because it is essential to plan for the resident’s on-going care.

Once the resident is accepted at a facility, the process may vary.

Caritas House Specifics

What you need to know:

The Uniform Disclosure Statement

Caritas Staffing Chart

At Caritas House the following items are needed for move-in:

Proof that the future resident is free of TB
A note from the physician stating that there has been no change since the Physician’s Assessment was done, if it is more than 30 days old
Prescriptions
Copy of Medicare, other insurance and Social Security cards
Signed forms indicating choice of primary care physician and pharmacy
Security deposit of $400.00