If you can no longer manage in your own home, you may have to consider a new living arrangement. Medical and social service professionals can offer advice on whether you need skilled or non-skilled daily care and what type of environment (assisted living, rehabilitation, continuing care facility) may be best for you. They may also be able to provide recommendations on specific living facilities.

Before making such an important decision, you may wish to discuss the options with family and friends. Ask them to help you check out several facilities by researching and then visiting them. At each facility, ask to see the results of the latest state inspection. This is public information, and facilities are required to post it. Also, the local health department can tell you whether the home has ever received an Intent to Deny License because of sanitary or fire violations or patient care inadequacies. For a list of accredited facilities, contact the American Health Care Association at (202) 842-4444. The American Health Care Association (AHCA) is a non-profit federation of affiliated state health organizations, together representing more than 10,000 non-profit and for-profit assisted living, nursing facility, developmentally-disabled, and subacute care providers that care for more than 1.5 million elderly and disabled individuals nationally.