Some information that I hope will be useful

[Volzfan]

Some of you know that I've been taking care of my aging parents for nearly 3 years now. Mom passed on in mid Oct. and Dad went 10 days ago. I have some info that I want to share with anyone who may sometime need some of the services that we needed in their last days.

The name of the facility where they were at the end is a place in Franklin, TN called Southern Care Assisted Living. It's located @ 3595 Carothers Parkway. The Administrator's name is Tommy Thomason. We had started out in another facility in Nashville but after Mom fell the first time they were unable to properly care for Dad because of his fall risk. I had also checked with the nursing home where Mom had been to see what they charged. They started out at $5700 a month and went up from there. When I was checking Southern Care out I sat down with Tommy and he was telling me all that they would do for Dad. I was very skeptical. They were an assisted living facility and not a skilled nursing facility but he promised me that they could properly care for Dad. Then he told me that their price was all inclusive meaning no additional charge for washing his clothes, administering his medications and any of the many other add ons that most of these facilities charge. They were only $3100 a month! I could not see how they would be able to do what he promised for that amount but I gave them a try anyway.

Let me tell you that I could not have made a better choice anywhere! I never walked in there and smelled anything foul that is so common in most of the other facilities. I only once came in and found him in wet chothes and that was from spilling his water on himself at lunch. I never encountered a staff member who gave me the impression that they were just doing a job but they all seemed to genuinely be concerned with every resident they were responsible for. Southern Care in an Awesome facility!!!

The only issue that I had with them also leads me to the other point that I want to share with you. Mom and Dad had a Long Term Health Care policy with John Hancock. I pray that none of you have LT insurance with this sorry company. Once I get what's owed to us I'm filing a complaint with the TN State Dept. of Commerce and Insurance. It's now 3 days short of 4 months since Mom passed away and I have yet to get the final payment for her. That's unbelieveably frustrating since JH statements show that Mom still had almost $55k in future benefits that were still available to her that they will get to keep as profit. The fact that I have to fight to get the final $850 is mind boggling!

Now the Southern Care issue. They are a privately owned business and the owner's mother in law does the billing. Since they are independent they have no need for a fancy billing system so she has just done it with an Excel spreadsheet. That was part of the problem with JH. They wanted to know what they were paying for and the bill didn't say specifically. She would sometimes send out a bill that didn't have anything showed for the next month as the new balance. I would up just making my own and also sending that along with that a copy of a brochure from Southern Care that told about the services that were including in their price. I had just started to get them to accept what I was sending in for Dad when he passed and dad also had over $60k in future benefits but I'll be so glad to get this behind me.

John Hancock SUCKS!!! It makes me wonder how many Sr citizens that are trying to do this on their own just give up because they make it so terribly difficult to get them to pay what the policy calls for. If you have John Hancock LT Health Care I wish you luck. If a family member has them and you end up as their care giver and must deal with them I urge you to be very diligent. Never give up or give in!

I was talking with a man today that runs a Non-profit who had given me 2 wheelchairs for Dad last year. (He is one of the great members here on TGO!) I was returning them along with a few other donations of equipement that we had bought. He told me that his Dad had also just passed recently and that he had Met Life LT Health. He told me that they were very easy to deal with and that one day while on the phone with one of their people he asked why they were so good. He was told that Met Life doesn't allow anyone into that department unless they have been in a situation where they were having to manage a family member's coverage with any company. That gives them a great perspective on the situation that people that they will be dealing with on the phone are in and what they need from them. I know who I'm going to when the time comes to make that purchase.

I also have the name of a company in the Cool Springs Area that specialize in Estate & Elder Financila Planning. I sat down with them and gave them Mom and Dad's financial info and they spent an hour and a half (for free) going over options for them. When it was over they told me that I really didn't need their services at that point. It was very informative and helpful.

I hope that you can use the information that I've shared about my great experience with Southern Care and also my warning about the dispicable way that John Hancock treats their customers. If I can help with any more information just send a PM and I'll get back with you.

Good Luck and God Bless!

David

Edited February 15, 2012 by Volzfan

[plank white]

Wow man that sounds terrible to be put thru all that stuff Im glad the actual place was good though

[HOLEPUNCHER]

Thanks for sharing. Always good to here of folks that will do what they say, and go above.

[Chazmr]

Sorry for your loss. It's hard enough to lose loved ones, it's terrible that sometimes you have to deal with junk like that at the same time.

Thanks for posting your experiences. That info may be very helpful for some of us.