For quality senior living advice, is a local advisor better than a national company?

As a senior living advisor, I have to keep up to date about what’s going on in my line of work. One disturbing trend lately is the use of aggressive marketing tactics by national senior placement companies (buyer beware!).

Before giving out any personal information, understand who you are contacting. There are two types of senior living referral services:

Large national placement companies which operate out of call centers, claiming to be referral advisors
Local senior living advisors, like myself, who live and work in the same area you do.

Although all senior referral advice should be free, when you call a national placement company, the price you pay could be your personal information and your peace of mind.

The most common complaint I hear from my clients about national placement companies is what happens immediately after that first call or click. Their information is sent to ten or more communities, and the calls, emails, and texts start and never stop.

Norm described his experience as terrible. The frequency of calls he received was relentless and overwhelming. “They act concerned about your situation but they couldn’t care less. I have pleaded with them to remove my profile from their database but they refuse. They are a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
Linda called to find an appropriate option for her husband who has dementia, and Parkinson’s. They sent her to a facility only to learn the level of care they could provide would not match the level of care he required. A complete waste of her time.
Anne said calling them was one of the worst mistakes she made. Instead of reducing stress, the process created more and left her feeling even more lost than before. Calling them was like opening pandoras box of trouble.

It’s not the consumer’s fault that their information is being used to establish a lead solely for the purpose of compensation. The person looking for help is intentionally misled from the start. Guidance is never the goal.

Your local advisor is your gatekeeper who, when you choose to work with them, offers ethical and quality assistance. This is one of the most important differences to be noted. As a local senior advisor myself, I will meet you in person, get to know you, and accompany you on tours. More importantly, I will advocate for you and shield you from unnecessary sales pressure.

You are not a lead. You are not a number. And you are certainly not a product to be sold. You are a person making an important decision that ultimately should improve your quality of life. You deserve thoughtful guidance, professional knowledge, personal attention, and someone with heart standing beside you throughout the Journey.

There are three major national companies out there. They have large advertising budgets for grand websites and TV commercials that pull at your heart strings. If you happen to fall into the tight grasp of one of these companies and want them to leave you alone, this is what you do:

Send them a written request, via email or mail. Keep a dated copy. Legally, once they receive your request, they must stop contacting you.
To file a complaint, contact the Oregon Department of Human Services: call (503) 373-2227 or email ltcr.info@odhs.oregon.gov

If you have questions or would like help with any of this, or if you need an honest, reliable, experienced, local advisor, please call me. Who you work with is your choice, and you deserve someone who genuinely cares about helping you find the care you need and a home you will love.

Honor Arnold provides trusted, local Senior Living expertise and guidance at no cost to you! Call Honor at (503) 985-2180 or email Honor@ReliableSeniorSupport.com