Baton Rouge Senior AdvisorWhat should we check first at a Baton Rouge assisted living building?
The ARCP level and capacity on LDH's roster, because the level decides whether nursing can be provided and the capacity tells you the size of the place.
Then read the posted statement of deficiencies and plan of correction.
What documents should a provider give us before we sign?
Louisiana requires written information on conditions for residency, services, resident responsibilities, smoking and pet policies, the fee structure including disaster charges, and termination criteria.
Ask for the residency agreement and the pre-residency screening too.
How do we judge staffing without a state ratio?
Ask for the overnight head count, how many residents each aide is assigned, whether agency staff fill shifts, and how quickly call lights are answered.
Visit at a mealtime and in the evening to see staffing for yourself.
What should we ask about rate increases?
Ask how often rates rose in the last three years, how care levels are assessed and priced, and confirm the 30 days' written notice Louisiana requires before any change.
Louisiana does not cap increases.
What should we ask about storms and floods?
Ask for the written evacuation and shelter-in-place plan, what the generator runs, the host site, the building's flood history and the disaster-fee formula.
Ask what happened at the building during the 2016 flood and after Hurricane Ida in 2021.
How close should a community be to family?
Close enough for frequent, unplanned visits: in the Baton Rouge area, Interstate 10 and I-12 traffic can make a ten-mile drive take far longer at rush hour, so test the drive at the time you would actually visit.
Families in Livingston and Ascension often prefer a building on their side of the Amite River or the parish line.
Should we use a referral service?
A good referral service saves time and knows about openings, but it is paid by communities, so ask how it is paid and verify every recommendation against the state record.
Our directory lists every licensed provider whether or not it pays referral fees.
Should we pick a community near Our Lady of the Lake or another hospital?
Being near the hospital and doctors your parent already uses saves time and stress, which is one reason many families choose buildings in South and Southeast Baton Rouge close to the Essen Lane, Bluebonnet and O'Neal Lane medical corridors.
Weigh that against being near family, church and friends; a parent who receives frequent visits often does better than one who is close to the hospital but far from people.
