How placement actually works

Step 1: The first call (10 minutes)

We ask about six things: who needs care, what help they need day to day, whether they can walk and transfer on their own, how they are paying, which area suits the family, and how fast you need it. If anyone has already told you no, we want to know that too. It tells us more about the right home than anything else you could say.

You do not need to have the medical records ready. You do not need to know what level of care your parent is. That is our job to work out.

Step 2: We shortlist against real availability (same day)

This is the part families cannot do themselves. There is no public list of which licensed homes have a bed open this week, so we call the homes that fit and confirm. We also check each home's fire clearance and waivers, because a home without a non-ambulatory fire clearance cannot legally accept a resident who cannot evacuate on their own, and only homes with a hospice waiver can keep a resident on hospice.

You get two or three real options with real monthly prices, not a directory printout.

Step 3: Tours (1 to 3 days)

We arrange the visits and, where we can, come with you. What to look for: the smell when you walk in, whether residents are dressed and out of bed, how the caregiver speaks to them when they think nobody is listening, and whether the owner answers your hard questions directly.

Out-of-state families: we tour on your behalf and send a straight assessment, with photos of the common areas when the home allows it.

Step 4: Paperwork (2 to 5 days, started on day one)

California requires a physician's report on form LIC 602A completed within the past year, plus a current TB clearance. The home provides its own admission agreement and appraisal. We tell you exactly what to request and from whom, and we chase the doctor's office so you do not have to.

If Medi-Cal is involved, this is also when the Community Supports referral goes in to the contracted agency whose care navigator handles authorization.

Step 5: Move-in

Bring clothing, toiletries, medications in their original containers, a few things from home that matter, and the paperwork. Most homes are furnished. We stay reachable through the first week, because the first week is when problems surface.

What it costs you

Nothing. Our fee is paid by the care home after your loved one moves in. You pay the home its normal monthly rent, the same rent you would pay if you had found it on your own. We are telling you this plainly because the question sits in the back of every family's mind and most agencies leave it vague.

What we will not do

• Push you toward a home because of what it pays us. Our fee is set the same way at every home, and we show you lower-cost options alongside higher-cost ones.
• Hide a conflict. We also manage 4 licensed homes in the San Fernando Valley. If one of them is a fit, we will tell you that we manage it, and we will always show you other options.
• Place someone in a home that cannot safely handle their care level.
• Tell you board and care is right when the honest answer is skilled nursing, memory care, or staying at home with support.