Business Beat: Nursing Home Navigator, new service at The Care Concierge of New England

New “Nursing Home Navigator” program offers increased services for seniors.

Since its inception in 2019, the North Smithfield-based Care Concierge of New England has devoted its time and resources toward guiding families in moving their older loved ones into an appropriate senior living community. Care could range from traditional assisted living and dementia to more customized solutions, depending on the situation. Their reach has spread throughout Rhode Island, most of neighboring Massachusetts, and into Connecticut. Since its inception, the Care Concierge has helped hundreds of families receive the attention and comfort they need to continue their lives.

Owner and Lead Concierge Paul Jones has seen plenty of changes during the last half-decade. While the circumstances surrounding senior care continues to evolve, Jones remains steadfast in his ability to assist others through a process that can become frustrating to many.

“We all understand that getting older is part of the aging process,” he said. “Nobody wants to be put in the position of making drastic or radical changes to their own lives, let alone, those of their parents. There are many factors and points to consider when determining the right plan for them. No two scenarios are the same, and each one must be handled delicately because, remember, these are people with feelings and emotions, too.”

The company focuses on helping families with assisted living/memory care placement. Business has been expanding in a number of directions, most notably by helping families find placements in nursing homes. Previously, there was a gap in how many nursing home placements Jones and his team could help with because of the rules surrounding Medicaid and reimbursements.

“Our payment structure for assisted living placement is modeled after the real estate industry in that we don’t get paid until/unless placement occurs. That model doesn’t work for nursing homes, as many placements are predicated on Medicaid as a payer source. We have helped as often as we can, but we had to necessarily focus on our assisted living placements; also, we are not nurses/social workers, and many nursing home placements are for people with acute medical needs,” said Jones.

Jones was encouraged to find another option toward assisting people with this need while providing additional information, services and support to his growing clientele. That became the inspiration or the Nursing Home Navigator program. The mission will be giving families the same level of care and service they’ve come to expect from their assisted living advisors. However, Navigators will be either a nurse or social worker.

Navigators will work along three tiers of service, with increasing levels of support included. Navigator focuses on helping seniors and their families find the best nursing home fit. The team of nurses and social workers use their expertise and experience to help grant peace of mind and find their loved one the absolute best quality of care.

Depending on the service level, Navigators will help families understand what nursing home rankings mean; review medical and financial needs; coordinate applications with nursing home admissions directors; tour nursing homes with their clients to be their “in-the-moment” advocate, and provide follow-up advocacy and support for families after their loved one has been admitted to a nursing home.

There are currently two Navigators – Michelle Kissinger, RN, and Social Worker Karen Egan. Together, they will be able to help families make a plan to figure out what the best nursing home will be for their situation.

Jones said if the Nursing Home Navigator program is successful in Rhode Island, then there are plans to expand into other states. For now, the important point is for families to enjoy the piece of mind that having someone in their corner helping them during this difficult time.

“People have tried to do this on their own,” he said. “What they quickly discover is what they don’t know about the places they are touring, what to ask about or what type or care their loved ones will get. It’s a very detailed and mind-boggling exercise that can turn sideways without the right people asking what should be expected. That is why what The Care Concierge of New England does its due diligence for every client so that they are well informed to make the best choice for them.”

Jones said a good client for them would be anyone with questions about what a modern nursing home is, how to find a good fit for their loved one, and how to help their loved one get into that good place. His short-term goal is having a pretty steady stream of clients within six months so they can grow this program. Navigators will realistically only be able to handle so many clients at one time. If there’s a need, Jones could potentially hire more Navigators to help more people.

The Care Concierge Is proud to have strong relationships with Assisted Living and Memory Care providers in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, and can help you find the absolute best next step for great quality of life.

Further details about the organization, including scheduling appointments and inquiring about the Navigator program, call Paul directly at 401-216-6049 or [email protected].