How Nonna Placements Gets Paid (and Why It's Free for You)

Quick answer: You never pay us. When someone we helped moves into a licensed home we work with, that home pays us a referral fee. Nothing is owed before move-in, and your family never gets a bill from us. You can still choose any home you like, including homes we don’t work with.

When you’re trying to find care for Mom or Dad, “free” can sound too good to be true. You’re already worried about money. The last thing you need is a surprise bill later. So here is exactly how we get paid, in plain English.

The short version

• Your family pays Nonna Placements nothing, at any stage.
• A licensed care home pays us a referral fee, and only after someone moves in.
• You can pick any home, even one that doesn’t pay us.
• Our business only works when a move is the right fit and it lasts.

Who pays Nonna Placements, and when?

The care home pays us. Your family doesn’t.

Here’s how it works. We help you figure out what kind of care your parent needs and what your budget is. We suggest licensed homes that fit. If your parent moves into one of the homes we work with, that home pays us a referral fee. The fee is triggered by the move-in date, not by a phone call, a tour, or a signed form.

• Your family. Pays Nonna Placements? Never. If no one moves in: You owe nothing. Monthly rent and care: Paid to the home, under your agreement with the home.
• The care home. Pays Nonna Placements? Yes, a referral fee. When? Only after your parent moves in. If no one moves in: The home owes nothing.

The monthly cost of care is between your family and the home. Around Sacramento and Placer County, licensed care homes typically cost $4,000 to $15,000 a month, depending on the home and how much care your parent needs. Our guide to assisted living costs in Sacramento explains what goes into that number.

For the short version of this page, see how we’re paid.

The surprise: Most families expect a catch, like a sign-up fee, a deposit, or a bill once the search is over. There isn’t one. We never ask your family for money, and we never hold anyone’s money or property.

Do we have to choose a home that pays you?

No. You can choose any home you want, including homes we don’t work with.

If you find a home on your own and love it, tell us. We’d rather you end up in the right place than in one of “our” homes. Our job is to help your family make a good decision, not to steer you.

We also say so when a care home isn’t the answer. Sometimes the honest advice is that your parent can stay home with in-home help. Sometimes they need skilled nursing instead. We’ll tell you that, even though it means we aren’t paid.

How do I know you’re not steering us toward whoever pays most?

It’s a fair question, and you should ask it of any placement service.

Here is our answer. We recommend the right home, even when it pays us less. And our business depends on moves that stick. If a parent moves in and it goes badly in the first weeks, we lose the trust of the family and the home. A poor match costs us. A good match is the only kind that works.

We’ll walk you through the pros and cons of each home we suggest (location, price, staff experience). No home is perfect. You deserve to hear the downsides before you decide.

A simple way to think it through:

• If you want a home we don’t work with, then you can still choose it, and we’ll still help where we can.
• If staying home with help is safer and cheaper, then we’ll tell you, even though we aren’t paid.
• If your parent needs more medical care than a care home can give, then we’ll point you toward skilled nursing and your parent’s doctor.
• If you’re worried about cost, then tell us your real budget so we only suggest homes that fit it.

What do we do, and what don’t we do?

Here’s what you get from us, free to your family:

• A phone call to understand your parent’s needs, budget and timing
• A short list of licensed homes that fit those needs and have an opening
• Tours set up for you, and we can come along (or video tours if you live out of state)
• Help asking each home about its all-in monthly price and what makes it go up
• Help gathering the move-in paperwork the home needs, like the doctor’s report

And here’s what we don’t do:

• We don’t provide hands-on care. The care home does that.
• We don’t give medical advice. Talk to your parent’s doctor.
• We don’t give legal or financial advice. An elder law attorney or financial planner can help with those.
• We never hold power of attorney, and we never hold or move anyone’s money or property.

When you need help we don’t provide, like a senior move manager or an elder law attorney, we can point you to people we aren’t paid by.

Questions to ask any placement service about money

Whether you work with us or someone else, these questions help you understand how a placement service is paid:

• Do we ever pay you anything?
• Who pays you, and when?
• Can we choose a home that doesn’t pay you?
• Will you tell us the downsides of each home?
• Who calls us after move-in?

Local help in Sacramento and Placer counties

Money questions often come next. A few local facts are worth knowing:

• Medicare doesn’t pay for long-term care in assisted living or board and care (Medicare.gov).
• Medi-Cal’s Assisted Living Waiver helps pay for care services in participating homes, but only in 15 California counties. Sacramento County is one. Placer County is not, and there’s a waitlist (DHCS).
• Agency on Aging Area 4 offers free information on senior programs in Sacramento and Placer counties.

Our family roadmap for paying for senior care walks through each option.

How Nonna Placements works: Nonna Placements is free to families. Licensed homes pay us a placement fee when someone moves in. You can choose any home. This article is general information, not medical, legal, or financial advice.

Talk it through with us

If you have questions about how we work, or you’re ready to start looking, call us. We’ll explain everything up front, listen to what your parent needs, and help you find licensed homes that fit. Nonna Placements helps families across California, with a focus on Sacramento and Placer counties. It’s free to your family.

Call or text (916) 261-2644 or email roberto@nonnaplacements.com. If a hospital discharge is coming up fast, tell us right away.

Related reading: How we’re paid · How it works · How Much Does Assisted Living Cost in Sacramento in 2026? · How Will We Pay for Mom’s Care? · Senior living in Roseville

Sources

• Medicare.gov, Long-term care: https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/long-term-care
• California DHCS, Assisted Living Waiver: https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/long-term-care-alternatives-home-and-community-based-service-options/assisted-living-waiver/
• Agency on Aging Area 4: https://agencyonaging4.org/

About the author

Roberto Hategan is the CEO & Founder of Nonna Placements, a senior placement service in Granite Bay serving families across California, with a focus on Placer and Sacramento counties. Contact: roberto@nonnaplacements.com

Photo credits: Luis Quintero and Ron Lach (2 photos), via Pexels, Pexels License.