By Joy Loverde
Lately there’s been a lot of controversy regarding senior-housing referral websites and financial kickbacks through high-commissioned care providers' communities. When Continuing Care Retirement Communities, Assisted-living Communities, and Nursing Homes pay web owners to send prospective residents their way, it begs an answer to the question, how much can you trust people who are getting paid to endorse their communities?
As an eldercare product and services spokesperson myself, I know all too well that unless whatever I am being paid to endorse passes a comprehensive assessment, including first-hand testimonials and background checks, I turn the deal down. It’s not worth the risk no matter how much money is on the table.
That said senior housing is a delicate subject, and placing Mom and Dad in someone else’s hands for higher levels of care is a scary proposition under the best of circumstances. Home-grown research can only go so far. When we visit these communities, everything appears to be on the up-and-up. We hope for the best and make a decision based on very limited information; but now that all has changed.
Valuable “insider” information is now available. Golden Reviews brings transparency to the process of choosing a senior care community through its 110,000 community listings. After going live in March 2013, the company has more than 2,000 reviews with at least 200 reviews being added or modified each day.
Here’s how it works. Golden Reviews opens the dialog between senior housing residents, family members, visitors, and industry experts. Reviews are compiled from real people with real experiences. Third-party certification helps families make informed decisions in time of need. Importantly, if someone has a bad experience, you’ll know it.
The Golden Reviews website offers the following:
- Read reviews on senior care communities
- Submit reviews on senior care communities
- Find senior care communities based on unique search criteria, including location, type of community, review ratings
- Speak to family advocates who will go above and beyond to make sure that
Golden Reviews is changing and elevating the process of choosing senior housing. Unlike direct and indirect website competitors, they are mission-driven to ensure that when a person is placed into the care of the professionals, that the best possible fit takes place between the family's unique requirements and the services offered.
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It’s about time someone thought to go this route. Thank you Golden Reviews!
