The safety of our loved ones is our utmost concern. Oasis Senior Advisors exists to help seniors and their families identify secure options for senior housing and determine which is the right fit for a safe, healthy, fulfilling experience. In many cases, the advisors have firsthand understanding.
John Brown, a Certified Senior Advisor at the Bonita Springs, Florida-based company’s franchise in Austin, Texas, spent 10 years as a caregiver for his mother as she suffered from diabetes and the early stages of dementia. But a neurologist’s recommendation and a near-tragedy helped Brown understand the time had come for his mother to move into a senior living community.
“One day, she placed a TV dinner in the toaster oven and started a fire in her home,” Brown said.” We sat down and read the directions and tried again. She placed the TV dinner in the stove on broil. Her dementia had become too much for her to read and understand basic directions.”
That heartbreaking realization set Brown on a challenging course. As he sought to find the right community for his mother, he was faced with a seemingly endless maze of dead ends, bad advice and poor or nonexistent planning.
“It took six months of almost full-time work to get her placed in a great community that could meet her care needs,” Brown said. “What I learned on my journey was so that no community is the same, each family’s journey is unique, and you must have a long-term plan.”
Later, when Brown became certified and joined Oasis Senior Advisors, he learned how to help seniors and their families craft both short-term and long-term plans, often in condensed timeframes.
“One thing I have noticed in the last three years is that Medicare has tightened up their discharge processes from rehabilitation centers and hospitals,” Brown said. “Families are
dealing with so much and sometimes with just a day or two to make these decisions that I personally invested six months into.”
A comprehensive understanding of the industry and the ability to act quickly are assets Brown and other Oasis Senior Advisors offer at no cost to seniors and their families, along with thorough knowledge of senior living communities. Advisors apply a multistep vetting process to each community before considering them for referrals.
“When our advisors present senior housing options to the people who turn to us for help, they do so with full confidence that it’s a place they would trust with one of their own family members,” Oasis Senior Advisors CEO Tim Evankovich said. “We do everything we can to make sure these are truly the right places.”
The process begins with confirmation of state licensure. Advisors conduct a site visit to take photos and obtain a copy of the state license, license number and license expiration date, along with any other relevant information. They follow up annually to ensure the licensure remains current and to note any recorded violations.
Advisors also review the community’s procedures for addressing resident issues and concerns. They build a profile of each community within a secure database and collect information about the community’s levels of care, pricing and fees, and amenities.
Seniors and families who consult Oasis Senior Advisors receive instruction on how to obtain state-level audits and guided tours of each community to which they’ve been referred.
“We take the time to get to know the people we help, and we stand by them through every step of the process,” Evankovich said. “We develop a level of trust that compels us to prioritize the safety of seniors at every turn.”
See how Oasis Senior Advisors makes a positive difference for seniors across the country at oasissenioradvisors.com.