Tell me what is going on
Fifteen minutes on the phone, no cost and no obligation. I will ask a few questions about your parent, tell you honestly what the options look like, and you can decide afterwards whether you want my help.
Free to your family. I am paid by the communities, never by you.
- No cost, ever
- No obligation
- I usually reply the same day
Ask me to call you
Only your name and a phone number are genuinely needed. Everything else below simply helps me come to the call prepared, so do leave anything blank if you would rather talk it through instead. I read these myself, they come straight to my own inbox, and I will normally ring you back the same day. There is no cost and no obligation at any point.
What do I need to prepare before the call?
Nothing at all. People often apologise for not knowing the answers yet, but you are not supposed to know them, and working it out is precisely the job you are asking me to do. Bring whatever you have, including nothing. I will ask the questions, and if I need something I cannot get from you I will chase it down myself rather than sending you away with homework.
No list of questions needed
I will ask the questions, so you do not need to arrive with a list. You just tell me what has been happening lately and what is worrying you most about it, in whatever order it comes out. Most first calls wander around a bit before the real concern surfaces, and that is completely normal.
Fifteen minutes is usually enough
Long enough for me to understand the situation properly and tell you what the realistic options look like, and longer if you want it. Nobody is watching a clock at my end. If we need a second conversation once you have had time to think, or to talk to a sibling, that is entirely fine too.
Bring whoever you like
Siblings on the line from another state, your parent listening in, or just you on your own in a parked car because it is the only quiet place you can find. Whatever is easiest. Families decide these things better together, so I would rather speak to everyone at once than repeat myself three times.
What happens after I send this form?
I ring you back, usually the same day. Here is the whole sequence from that first call through to a follow-up after the move, so that none of it comes as a surprise and you can see exactly where you would be committing to anything. The short answer is that you never do, and every stage below is free to your family.
| When | What happens | What it costs you |
|---|---|---|
| Same day, usually | Laura calls you back personally | Nothing |
| That first call | About 15 minutes understanding the situation and the options | Nothing |
| Within a few days | A shortlist of communities that genuinely fit, with honest reasons | Nothing |
| When you are ready | Tours arranged around your schedule, with Laura alongside you | Nothing |
| If you choose a community | Help with admission paperwork and the move itself | Nothing |
| After the move | A follow-up call to check the care matches what was promised | Nothing |
Is it too early for us to be calling?
Almost certainly not. Someone turning 65 today has close to a 70 percent chance of needing some form of long term care, and 20 percent will need it for more than five years, so this is a normal conversation to be having rather than a premature one.
- Medicare will not pay for it. Medicare states plainly that it does not cover long term custodial care, in a nursing home or in the community, and neither does most health insurance or a Medigap policy. Medicare.gov, long-term care coverage
- Medicaid can, if you qualify. In this state that usually means the MI Choice Waiver, which funds care for people who would otherwise need a nursing facility. I can help you apply. MI Choice Waiver Program, Michigan MDHHS
- Women need care longer than men, 3.7 years against 2.2 on average, which matters a great deal when you are working out whether the money lasts. US Administration for Community Living
What else do people want to know before they call?
Mostly whether this is really free, what happens to the information they send me, and whether they are going to be pestered afterwards. The answers are yes it is free, your details stay with me, and no you will not be. Here are those questions answered properly.
Will this turn into a sales call?
No. I have nothing to sell you, because you are not the one who pays me. If the right outcome is that your mother stays at home for another year, I will tell you that and you will not hear from me again unless you want to.
What happens to my information?
It comes straight to me by email and it stays with me. I do not sell enquiries, I do not add you to a mailing list, and I do not pass your details to communities until you have told me which ones you want to look at.
It is the middle of the night and I am panicking.
Send the form now and I will call you in the morning. But if this is a medical emergency, or someone is in immediate danger, please ring 911 or your doctor rather than waiting for me.
Can I just chat on the website first?
Yes. Grace, the assistant in the corner of this site, can answer most general questions at any hour and pass your details to me if you want a call. She is an assistant though, not a nurse, and she cannot give medical advice.
There is no bill at the end of this
I am paid by the communities, never by you. That is worth saying plainly, because most families assume help like this costs money they do not have and never pick up the phone. It does not change the advice I give you or the places I show you. If somewhere is not right for your mother, I will tell you so.
Where can I read the official rules myself?
Please do. I would much rather you checked me than took my word for it, and these four are the ones that actually matter when you are working out who pays for what. They are government and federal health sources rather than anybody selling senior living, including me.
- Medicare.gov, long-term care coverage — confirms that Medicare does not pay for long term custodial care.
- MI Choice Waiver Program, Michigan MDHHS — the Michigan route to Medicaid funded care outside a nursing home.
- US Administration for Community Living — the federal figures on how much care people actually end up needing.
- National Institute on Aging, caregiving — practical guidance for families caring for someone with dementia.
A good number of first calls end with a family deciding to wait, and that is a perfectly good outcome. You will just be waiting with a plan instead of a worry.
Nobody rings me because they are having a good week. The least I can do is pick up, listen properly, and be straight with them about what happens next.
Written by Laura Giardina, OTR/L, Regional Placement Advisor with
Senior Placement Services of Mid-Michigan. Licensed occupational therapist with over
20 years in Michigan senior care, including 16 years in nursing homes and home care
and 5.5 years as Clinical Liaison at MyMichigan Medical Center Midland.
Last updated .
Let's have a conversation
Fifteen minutes, no cost, no pressure and no obligation of any kind. Tell me what is going on with your parent and I will tell you honestly what your options look like, including the option of doing nothing just yet. If I am not the right person to help you, I will say so and point you towards whoever is. You can also simply ring me on 989-385-5239.