What Should I Expect When Moving Out of a Senior Living Community?
There are several reasons you may find yourself moving out of a senior living community and sometimes that reason isn’t something we want to think about. Today we’re going to talk about what you can expect when moving out.
I think you can probably imagine the reasons you may find yourself moving out of a community and most often they’re not pleasant ones:
you’re unhappy, or
you can’t afford the monthly fee,
care needs have exceeded the staff’s ability to provide the care…
or your loved one has passed away…
In these situations you may be asking yourself…what happens next? Do I get a refund? Do I get that deposit back that I paid in the beginning? What if I don’t find a place by the time the money runs out?Do I have to take care of those scratches from my mom’s wheelchair? Do we have to rush to get everything out? We’re still dealing with the funeral.
So let’s take a closer look at some move out scenarios and answer your questions!
Let’s start with the scenario that you’re unhappy or can’t afford the community. This scenario actually happens a lot. You probably know by now that I own a company called Clear Path Senior Living Solutions and we help families find the Senior Living Community that best fits their needs and budget. We always tell families that even with all our years of experience, we don’t live in any of these places, so on occasion we have had clients that either come to us unhappy with their current situation or come back to us because the community they chose wasn’t what everyone thought it would be. Other times we have had families believe their loved one would have enough money and either their care needs increased, speeding up how quickly their money was spent or they chose a certain community based on how it fit at the time of move in knowing they would most likely have to move in the future due to funds.
In this scenario, whether or not you are choosing to move even if it’s because you can’t afford it anymore, most communities will require a 30 day notice. Now you can move at any time. It’s just that you’re financially responsible for the another 30 days. So if money is the issue, make sure you’ve given yourself plenty of time.
If you’re considering moving out, go ahead and give your notice then you want to start that 30 day clock as soon as possible. It usually needs to be in writing so email your intention of moving out to the Executive Director.
We have had many clients who worry about giving notice before finding another place but if you’re working with someone like us. like Clear Path, then 30 days should be plenty of time to find another option. That being said, if something happens and you need more than 30 days just communicate that with the staff. You can always stay longer than your 30 days and as we mentioned you can move out before your 30 days is up.
What happens if your loved one needs more care than the community can provide? There are usually two different scenarios here: the quick change in condition and the more progressive one. So maybe your mom had a fall and is now requiring much more assistance or maybe your dad has early Alzheimer’s that is progressively getting worse affecting his ability to live safely in an independent living community or an assisted living. In either situation, it’s important to note that the community nurse must do an assessment to making the determination as to whether or not they can provide the care.
The community may be the one giving you a 30 days notice! We see this is happen in progressive situations and hopefully they’ve communicated their inability to provide the care so that this notice isn’t a surprise to you.
So why are we making these distinctions between you wanting to move versus the community not being able to provide care? We’re making this distinction because if the community can no longer provide the care or if your loved one passes away, then you usually don’t have to pay for an entire 30 days notice. And! If they are no longer providing care you should only be paying rent costs. They usually prorate based on when you completely clear the apartment or when care was no longer provided. Sometimes they may add a few days of care costs if it was a sudden change and they staffed for providing that care. So even if your loved one wasn’t in the building, they’re still having to pay staff to be there.
Also, you should always ask if you’re due a refund, it can take up to 30 days to get money back. And I’m sorry to say that the deposit you paid at the beginning isn’t the same kind of of deposit you may be used to in other rentals. Most communities call them a community fee and those funds are used to clean and paint the apartment when you move out along with a host of other things.
So summing up the 30 day notice: The move out procedure may differ slightly from place to place but usually it’s basically the same. If you’re choosing to move, in other words you’re unhappy or can no longer afford the community, then you’ll usually have to give a 30 days notice. However, If your loved one needs more care and the community determines they can’t provide that care or your loved one has passed away then the notice is usually based on when you clear the apartment.
Let’s talk about clearing the apartment.
Almost all communities will require that you move everything out. If you leave anything behind you can expect to be charged for its removal. Though some communities do have annual garage sales and may take donated items, most do not. You will usually have to schedule a walk through with maintenance or another staff member. Sometimes there will be move out paperwork to complete.
You will most likely not have to pay for any small damage. In senior living with walkers and wheelchairs, they’re usually pretty forgiving when it comes to wear and tear, although I did work with a family of builders that decided to replace a bathroom sink cabinet and they were charged with returning it to it’s original form. Just like on move in day, there may also be special hours/ routes through the community or special elevators the community requires you to use when moving.
I want to talk specifically about what happens if your loved one passes away. This is never an easy time and there are so many other things you’re dealing with. Clearing out the apartment is not only overwhelming, but painful. It’s part of the grieving process. Most communities are very understanding during these times and if money is not a concern for your family then you can continue to pay rent and take your time moving out.
No matter the reason for a move out, it’s never the most fun thing to do but communicating often with the executive director and the maintenance director. Knowing the rules of the community and knowing that you may not have to rush can hopefully make it more doable.
