SENIOR LIVING: What You Need to Know About Online Referral Companies

If you're searching for senior living for yourself or a loved one, you are more than likely feeling overwhelmed and unsure where to begin. Like most people in that situation, your first step might be a Google search. That's what I did 12 years ago when I began searching for senior living options for my mother...and I have deeply regretted it ever since.  It’s actually the primary reason I started LIVE WELL Senior Care Connections since I now have a unique perspective having dealt with these national online services (specifically A Place for Mom) both as a daughter in need of guidance and as a Marketing Director on the community side.

Here’s what you need to know about how they really work:

• These online companies are very similar to aggregators like Redfin or Kayak. The difference here, of course, is that you're not looking for a house or a plane ticket.

 

• Many national companies are spending enormous amounts of money for online advertising and programming that allows them to intercept your search.  You think you're looking up a particular community that you drive by on a regular basis, but you've really clicked on one of these online services.

 

• As soon as you inquire and provide your name, email and phone number, your information is blasted out to all the communities they contract with within a large geographical area, and you’ll start receiving endless sales calls and emails within 5 minutes of submission (I'm not kidding!).  This will absolutely add to your existing stress.

 

• While you're getting inundated with calls from communities, the online referral company will email you a list of 10 or more for you to reach out to. These are only the ones that have chosen to work with them, and more and more communities are choosing NOT to work with these national companies. What you will not receive is any help in determining which ones are best for you or your loved one. 

 

• Many of these communities could be up to 30 miles outside of your preferred geographical area, completely out of your price range, can’t meet the care needs required and/or provide the lifestyle you or your loved one desires.

 

• After they send you a list of communities, you are on your own to contact each one and further qualify, schedule tours and evaluate them while trying to compare with all of the other places.  In other words…YOU do all the work.

 

• Once they have sent your information out to numerous unvetted communities, they have you 'under contract' (even though you never signed anything) and they provide no additional help whatsoever.  Unfortunately, this means that if you choose to seek real help from a local senior placement advisor, it can be extremely difficult because communities will already have you in their system and indicated as a so-called client of the online company. There are ways to remove your name from the national company’s client list, but you’re already under a great deal of stress and certainly don’t need to hassle with that as well.

 

A national referral company won’t know anything about the places they refer other than the little information they get from the ones that agree to work with them.  Many communities that could be a good fit for your loved one don't work with them at all!

They don't know important details about what the communities are truly like because they haven't visited them.  Even representatives who say they are local have never set foot in the communities on the list they send to you.  That is why they have no idea which ones have:

• Experienced, compassionate management vs. inexperienced, indifferent staff.
• Nutritious, delicious meals vs. bland, processed food.
• Engaging, personalized activities vs. monotonous, uninspiring ones.
• Stable, well-trained staff vs. high turnover and lack of experience.

 

A FEW CLOSING THOUGHTS:

Navigating the senior living landscape is challenging enough without the added stress of misleading online referral services. This is where a local Certified Senior Advisor comes in. A local expert offers more than just a list of options; they provide hands-on, personalized guidance based on intimate knowledge of communities in the area. They understand which places truly match your loved one’s care requirements, lifestyle preferences, and budget—because they’ve visited these communities, know the staff, and are familiar with their reputations. Additionally, local advisors walk you through every step of the process, ensuring that your family feels supported during this critical transition.

Senior living decisions deserve more than a quick online search—they require personalized, thoughtful advice from someone who truly understands the landscape and is able to provide ALL appropriate options at no cost to you.

All the best,

Sherri