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Parents been in AL 6 months. Now they want to increase "level of care" of dad who has aphasia (unable to speak, or write) b/c he cannot complete the cognitive assessment given by the LVN. He does get impatient in dining room and activities, indicating he wants the food, and event, without waiting so long, but always reported as polite and following directions. Well, "following directions" such as "go out there", "sit down and wait", he needs repeated prompting to do (I think due to impatience). He dresses, feeds, bathes and keeps his AL apartment well. I want to argue about the increased "costs" they say due to needing to "keep redirecting him" (increasing $300 / month, putting him at what they call a "level 3"). In his 80's he is definitely slower to respond and understand things, but I feel this AL place will just keep trying to increase his "level of care" fees to increase costs exponentially throughout the years there (every 6 months?). What rebuttle do I have (or am I at the mercy of the LVN)?

I don't understand how an LVN can give a cognitive assessment. Does this place not have an RN? My State only RNs can be incharge at an AL or MC.
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Reply to JoAnn29
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Your rebuttal is as you have written it here, just about exactly, and you should arrange to meet with admins and with this LVN who is assessing present at meet.
The points are:
1. Dad has aphasia, and his response time is lengthened and needs a bit more prompting, yes. That is admitted. It makes him more difficult to assess.
2. Given how difficult he is to assess, I think he is incorrectly dismissed as "disoriented" when he simply suffers from verbal aphasia. Dad is able>
3. Dresses himself, feeds himself, comes appropriately to communal dining even if impatient for his food, showers himself, Keeps room organized, etc
4. We the family love this place and are terrified he will run out of funds and that he will have to leave for a Nursing Home, which we believe would be the end of him.
(This plea worked at my Bro's ALF which attempted--at times, incorrectly I think-- to keep people in their level of care longer than they should have out of caring for family and finances.)

Now, if there is MORE (say incontinence?) that wasn't told to you in this assessment, you will learn it in your meeting I think, and then know you are close to memory care. Which given the increase in cost is a devastating thought, I know.

I wish you luck.
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Reply to AlvaDeer
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