Questions families ask

What questions do Salt Lake families ask most about senior care?

The questions we hear most fall into 6 groups: getting started, licensing and safety, paying for care, memory care, local help, and moving and contracts.

Getting started

• Where should a Salt Lake family start when a parent needs more help?
• What does a senior care advisor do, and what does it cost?
• How quickly can a parent move into assisted living in Salt Lake City?
• How many places should we tour?
• What is the difference between independent living and assisted living in Utah?
• Is Tooele County part of the Salt Lake senior care market?

Licensing and safety

• Is every assisted living home in Salt Lake County licensed?
• Does Utah inspect assisted living every year?
• Who rates assisted living in Utah?
• Are Utah care workers background checked?
• Can an assisted living facility in Utah restrain a resident?
• What is a conditional license in Utah?
• How do I know if an assisted living facility is Type I or Type II?

Paying for care

• Does Utah Medicaid pay for assisted living?
• What is the cheapest way to get help for a parent at home in Salt Lake County?
• Will Medicare pay for a nursing home after a fall?
• Does long-term care insurance cover Utah assisted living?
• What do I need to apply for VA Aid and Attendance?
• Are assisted living costs tax deductible?

Memory care

• Can a Type I assisted living facility offer memory care in Utah?
• How do I find licensed memory care near me in the Salt Lake Valley?
• What is a wander risk management agreement?
• How many staff must be in a Utah memory care unit at night?
• Will a memory care unit keep a resident until the end of life?
• Does the New Choices Waiver work in memory care?

Local help

• What is Salt Lake County's Area Agency on Aging?
• Who helps seniors in Tooele County?
• Who do I call about a problem in a nursing home or assisted living?
• Where can I get free Medicare counseling in Salt Lake County?
• Who answers questions about the New Choices Waiver?
• Is SLC Senior Advisor a government agency?
• Where can Salt Lake caregivers find respite?
• Is there help with transportation to medical appointments in Salt Lake County?

Moving and contracts

• What should we look for in a Utah assisted living contract?
• Can a Utah assisted living facility raise prices any time?
• Do residents have to share a room in Utah assisted living?
• What happens to our money if a parent dies or moves out?
• What should we bring on moving day?
• How do we handle the first weeks after the move?
• Can we hire our own aide for a parent in Utah assisted living?
• What if the facility says a parent needs a higher level of care?

Where do the answers come from?

Every answer is checked against Utah's assisted living rule, Utah DHHS and DLBC pages, Salt Lake County and Tooele County agency pages, or federal Medicare and VA sources.

See our editorial standards for how we source facts.