Guides for families
Choosing care for a loved one is a big, often urgent decision. These short guides explain the basics in plain language — no jargon, no sales pitch.
Types of senior care explained
Assisted living vs. memory care vs. skilled nursing vs. home health — what each offers and who it's for.
How to pay for senior care in California
Private pay, long-term care insurance, VA benefits, Medi-Cal, and Medicare — your options, in plain language.
Signs it may be time for memory care
Safety, health, and caregiver signs that a loved one with dementia may need memory care.
Understanding a facility's license
What the license types and statuses mean — and how to verify any facility against the official state record.
Questions to ask on a tour
A plain-spoken checklist to bring when you tour or call a facility.
Board-and-care homes vs. assisted living communities
Small home vs. large community — both are 'assisted living.' How to tell which fits.
In-home care vs. assisted living
Stay home with help, or move? The cost-and-care comparison, and the crossover point.
How to read a facility's inspection record
Citations, complaints, survey dates — how to read an inspection record and weigh what you find.
Medication Management in Assisted Living: What to Ask
What RCFEs legally can and can't do with medications, and the questions to ask before you move in.
Evaluating Staffing and Turnover Before You Move In
California doesn't publish staffing ratios — the questions to ask to find out for yourself.
Conservatorship in California: The Process, Step by Step
Who can petition, the realistic timeline and cost, and what to try first.
VA Aid & Attendance: How to Actually Apply
Who qualifies, the forms involved, and the free local help available to file.
Communicating with a Loved One Who Has Dementia
Practical strategies for repetition, confusion, and difficult moments — day to day, not just the big decision.
When a Parent Refuses Care or Refuses to Move
Why it happens, how to have the conversation differently, and when it's more than stubbornness.
Fall Prevention and Home Safety Checklist
A room-by-room checklist, plus the medical factors that raise fall risk.
After a 911 Call or ER Visit: Understanding Hospital Discharge
Your appeal rights, what Medicare actually covers, and the questions to ask before discharge.
Hospice vs. Palliative Care: What's the Difference
What each one actually covers, who qualifies, and how to bring it up with a doctor.
Downsizing and Moving a Parent: Logistics and the Emotional Side
Sorting belongings, timing the move, and handling the emotional weight of it.
You Have a Long-Term Care Insurance Policy — Now What?
Benefit triggers, the elimination period, the paperwork required, and why claims get denied.
Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs): What to Know Before You Sign
How the contracts and entrance fees work, and what to check before signing.
Caregiver starter checklist
Getting organized, finding respite, and taking care of yourself as a family caregiver.
Medi-Cal Long-Term Care Eligibility in 2026
Asset limits are back as of January 1, 2026 — the exact numbers, and what's still exempt.
Transferring Assets Before Applying for Medi-Cal: What to Know
The 30-month look-back, how the 2026 phase-in works, and why you should talk to an attorney before transferring anything.
Medi-Cal Estate Recovery: What Families Should Know
Why only the probate estate is at risk — and why an unfunded trust doesn't protect a home.
The Assisted Living Waiver and Placer County
Placer isn't an ALW county — what that means, and the real local alternatives.
CalAIM Community Supports: An Alternative Worth Asking About
A Medi-Cal option some plans offer — why you have to ask your own plan directly.
In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) in Placer County
How IHSS works, and the exact Placer County numbers to call to get started.
MSSP: An Alternative to Nursing Home Care
A Medi-Cal alternative to nursing home placement — the local site covering Placer County.
PACE: All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly in Placer County
A comprehensive home-based care option — available by zip code, not countywide.
Estate Planning Documents Every Family Should Know About
Power of attorney, health care directives, POLST, trusts, and conservatorship — the essentials.
Recognizing and Reporting Elder Abuse in Placer County
Signs to watch for, and exactly who to call in Placer County if something's wrong.
Placer County Senior Resources: Real Contacts
A real, verified contact list — APS, IHSS, the Public Guardian, legal aid, and more.
How to Vet a Senior-Care Referral Service
Many placement services are paid by the facility you move into. What to check before you trust one.
How to Choose an Elder-Law Attorney
How to verify credentials, what to ask before hiring, and free/low-cost alternatives.
Using a reverse mortgage to pay for senior care
How it works, and the primary-residence rule that catches most families off guard.
Bridge loans for senior care: what to check before signing
Short-term financing to bridge a home sale or pending benefit — costs and conflicts to watch for.
Converting life insurance to pay for long-term care
Living-benefit riders, policy loans, and settlements — three options, in the order to check them.
Ready to start? Browse facilities in Placer County.