No service truly evaluates homes

Elder care is one of our great responsibilities as a nation. Communities and families reap the benefits of the nation our seniors created. Seniors rely on our vigilance to ensure their living places are safe and comfortable .

Michelle Singletary wrote in her Thursday column about companies that falsely claim to vet homes for the aged. (“Relying on advice found on the Internet can burn you.”) This undermines the efforts of families and ultimately seniors to ensure their safety.

Many of the best loving homes, especially small Family Care Homes, are not on the approved lists because they do not have the resources to pay high fees for recommendations. Other less worthy accommodations are recommended solely because they do pay.

Our mother is extremely fortunate to live in a Family Care Home where residents’ physical and emotional well being are the only priorities. Residents are selected for their potential to fit the family. Special needs are met with dignity and every caregiver truly cares. Mum’s health and well being have improved in her time there; this is an amazing feat for a 96-year-old woman who could easily live to 100.

Serene View Manor was not mentioned by the service we consulted. Once we found this family care home they checked for violations and approved the home. Our family was fortunate that Serene View welcomed Mum into their community.

Serene View Manor is not the only excellent adult family home in our community but we may never know because there is no service truly evaluating and recommending them.

Colleen Dunlap

Snohomish

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