Nursing homes are a thing of the past. Seniors are looking for new ways to spend their golden years. Whether it’s independent living, assisted living, or something in between, Rob and Sheri Lewin of Assisted Living Locators of North Tucson will help.
The focus of the franchise is to find a place for seniors to live that is compatible with their needs and budget. They do this by working closely with the seniors and their families to become well acquainted with what those needs are.
“We become partners with the family,” Rob said. “We stay very engaged with them… Even after placement, we stay in touch with the families to make sure that it’s a good fit for them and that it’s something that’s going to be lasting.”
In their quest to provide good service, Sheri visited 30 local independent and assisted living facilities. She looked at empty rooms, occupied rooms, and model rooms. Her inspections were thorough.
As she walked through the facilities, one thing she always wanted to know was about meal times.
“It’s really important to me that if someone is in assisted living, if they’re hungry that they’re allowed to eat something,” she said. “I don’t want to hear, ‘Well, the kitchen closes at 7.’ It’s important to me that if my grandfather were there and he wanted something at 9 o’clock at night, he’s got an option.”
Sheri also looked at cleanliness, whether the hallways are clear of debris or equipment, how accessible the grounds, rooms and common rooms are, and lighting and tripping hazards. She asked about pharmacy delivery and if transportation was available. She asked about activities.
While looking at those items, she was also observing the general ambiance of the place.
“Really, I want to see cleanliness,” Sheri said, “I want to see the residents happy. I want to see if the caregivers are happy. I want to see a community where everyone feels like they’re at home.”
“We’re very particular about making sure that our referrals and our placements are going to locations where they’re going to be well cared for,” Rob said.
The Lewins’ desire to open the business comes from unfortunate experiences. They saw their own grandparents needing placement and were not satisfied with the outcomes.
“We both had experiences in our families that our grandparents didn’t get the best level of care that was possible,” Rob said. “We saw some of the bad side of what can happen.”
The Lewins don’t just work with those who need to be in assisted living.
“We also work with seniors who want to do independent living,” Rob said. “Maybe the house has become too much … and you want to move to an active community where you can participate in activities all day long and have recreation available and transportation to many locations. We can place you in an independent living facility where you’re still on your own but you’ve got meals provided for you in some cases. You’ve got other folks who are interested in the same things you are and a list of activities you can do… Our goal is to work with all seniors in need… What we try and focus on is what is the right fit for that person.”
Assisted Living Locators of North Tucson aren’t just about nursing homes.
“There seems to be a stigma that all we are are bed fillers,” Rob said. “We want to shift that mindset. We want to change how people perceive this process because we know from personal experience how difficult this becomes, how it can impact an entire family.”
To that end, the Lewins look at the entire picture, including the financials. They have a list of preferred professionals they work with, “such as elder care attorneys and moving companies and estate sales (professionals) and trust lawyers,” Rob said. “We also work with recommended financial advisors that can set up a financial plan for how this is going to be taken care of.”
In addition, the Lewins work with families who might need emergency placement. They also work with all levels of financial situations.
“Because we are passionate about what we do, we’re going to help anybody who comes to us,” Rob said.
Families don’t have to wait until their seniors need care. At Assisted Living Locators the Lewins will work with a family for many months before the placement is needed. Best of all, they do not charge for their work on behalf of their clients.
“Our services are at no cost to the families at all,” Rob said. “We work on the basis of each of the locations that we recommend.”
Because this is a franchise, the Lewins can place someone out of the city and even out of the state.
“Maybe the parents decided to retire down here but the family lives in Illinois,” Rob said. “We are nationwide as far as franchisees and we can call somebody that’s in Illinois… We want to work together to find the right placement for them.”
Besides owning the Assisted Living Locators of North Tucson and the training that comes with ownership, the Lewins are working on becoming certified senior advisors.
“It’s something that we think is very important to us,” Rob said.
Assisted Living Locators of North Tucson
520-882-3772
facebook.com/ALLNorthTucson
assistedlivinglocators.com/care-advisor/arizona/north-tucson
