ELDERLY: No word, little hope

In June of this year the Four Seasons Assisted Living was acquired by Pacifica Companies to be managed by Encore Senior Living of Milwaukie, Ore. Upon taking ownership, they closed my mother’s house and with less than a week’s notice. They divided 12 residents up into empty rooms in the other houses. With no say, I had to move my mother, who is 89 and has dementia, into a room they chose, into a house they chose or else find another facility.

Encore had a meeting with family and residents on June 27 to ensure us that the continuity of care would not change, and that the residents were like family.

On Sept. 4 I received notice from the state of Idaho informing me that since June 1, Pacifica was not an approved Medicaid provider. I never received any communication from Encore or Pacifica about not being approved as a Medicaid facility. I never received any communication from Encore or Pacifica that my mother’s continued stay at their facility could result in her Medicaid benefits and services being terminated.

There is a limited amount of quality facilities that have openings for Medicaid residents. Add to that one with dementia, and the list is even shorter. Add 16 families looking at the same time and you get the picture. To date, I have not had any communication from either Encore or Pacifica saying they are sorry or offering to help find a new home.

Like family?

DAN HERNANDEZ

Post Falls