What Happens If a Senior Is Hospitalized for Several Weeks While at Assisted Living?

December 19, 2017 by ·

It can happen. A person has moved into an assisted living community and is beginning to make friends, enjoys activities, and feels this was a great decision to make. Suddenly they experience a significant medical emergency.

It could be a heart attack or stroke or something else. It could even be pneumonia. Whatever it is, they are rushed to the hospital and end up staying there for several weeks. Maybe they have to be moved to a nursing home for a few weeks before they are finally fully discharged so they can return home.

Assisted Living in Mobile AL: Hospitalization

Assisted Living in Mobile AL: Hospitalization

What happens with their room at assisted living?

Every facility is different and will have various requirements on residency, but if somebody is keeping up with the payments for their rent, there should be no conceivable reason why the room is forfeited. Yes, there could be a long list of other seniors waiting to get into this particular facility, but that doesn’t mean somebody can be forced out if they are paying the rent and are simply dealing with a medical emergency that has kept them away for three, five, or even six or seven weeks.

It may be necessary to contact the administrators.

If the administrators are aware of the situation and what’s going on, and they are convinced that the resident will be returning within an estimated range of time, that can help them determine what course of action they need to take, if any.

Not communicating with the administrators of this facility can complicate things.

Think about it from their perspective. If they have a room that is not being used and a wait list of over 30 or 40 seniors looking for an opportunity to take advantage of this facility, is it more reasonable to simply allow the room to be empty, even though it’s getting paid for, if there’s honestly little hope that resident will return?

They also need to be practical. If that elderly resident will suddenly require a significant level of direct medical attention, it could be beyond the scope of their staff, so they may need to address a potential change in residency.

The family members of that senior should be open and honest with the staff at assisted living and keep them updated on what’s going on. If it appears as though the senior will not be able to return to the facility, they should make that decision as soon as possible, not just to save money for them or the senior, but to provide another person the potential opportunity to enjoy living there.

If you or an aging loved one are considering assisted living in Mobile, AL, contact Ashbury Manor Specialty Care and Assisted Living at 251-317-3017.

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About Cindy Johnson

Ashbury Manor’s Administrator since 2008, Cindy Johnson is a long-time expert in the assisted living field. Prior to her arrival at Ashbury Manor, Cindy managed acquisitions and crisis management for existing and new larger senior care project developments for eleven years. As regional manager for an Oregon-based assisted living management company, Cindy was directly responsible for operations for five 50-65 bed assisted living facilities. As manager during the transition to new ownership, Cindy reorganized internal operations and conducted leadership training for Executive Directors. As a result of her management and expertise, one of the company’s facilities (in Ocala, Florida) received a deficiency-free survey, resulting in the lifting of a moratorium on operation.

A nurse for 36 years, senior care has always been Cindy’s passion. Desiring to work more closely with residents, Cindy became a Category II Administrator in 2005. As Ashbury Manor’s Administrator, Cindy understands the complexities associated with dementia and cognitive impairment and she has fallen in love with seniors with dementia or cognitive impairment and their families.

Cindy is Treasurer of the local “Senior Coalition” chapter. She enjoys mentoring new candidates who want to become administrators.

As a 16-bed facility, with Cindy's training and experience, our residents and their families can be sure Ashbury Manor’s carefully selected staff provides the expertise of a larger facility while maintaining the individualized personal care of a small special needs home.
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