Another common non-negotiable comes up for men who are seeking assisted living or nursing homes—

they want there to be other male residents! Because women live longer, there are generally significantly

more females in nursing homes and assisted living communities. But a non-negotiable for some men is

that they want to be able to hang out with and make new men friends when they are considering a new

residence. Of course, there are other men who don’t care about this at all. The point is, what’s a non-negotiable

item for one older person or caregiving crew may not be relevant at all for another.

2. Don’t Read Too Much into Tax status

Frequently caregivers make assumptions about an organization based on its for-profit, nonprofit, or government status. Both good and bad care . . . occurs at all types of organizations, regardless of their tax status.

Negative and positive stereotypes are associated with all three of these types of organizations. On one hand,

some people believe that for-profit organizations are only concerned about the almighty dollar. On the other

hand, some caregivers assume that a for-profit nursing home will do a better job because they assume that

staff are paid better.

Some caregivers have the preconceived notion that a nonprofit or a government organization won’t be of high enough quality. Alternatively, other caregivers might assume that a nonprofit with a religious affiliation will offer better care because the people who work there follow specific religious teachings. Some might believe that a government nursing home or hospital will offer better care because they are more highly regulated by the government. Both good and bad care as well as mediocre care occurs at all types of organizations, regardless

of their tax status. Try to judge each individual organization on its own merits. Don’t rule out (or rule in) an organization simply because of its tax affiliation.

3. Don’t Maintain Fixed Assumptions about Brands

If you have ever been to a franchise or chain store, restaurant, or hotel, you know that every location does not always offer precisely the same quality service, food, or surroundings as another. For example, maybe you

are a loyalty member at Marriott or Hilton. You likely have your favorite properties in their portfolio; not every Marriott or Hilton is the same. Keep this in mind when you hear that the “Smith” chain of nursing homes is

fantastic but the “Jones” chain is terrible. You really must evaluate each service or organization on its own

merits. There are many large franchises and chains of nursing homes, assisted living communities, home care organizations, etc. Keep in mind that a good experience at one does not guarantee a good experience at another (and vice versa).