Local Placement Advisor Vs a Place for Mom or Caring.Com: What's the Difference?

Quick answer: National services like A Place for Mom and Caring.com and a local advisor like Nonna Placements are all free to families. Care homes or providers pay them. The national sites cover the whole country, with large networks and online listings. A local advisor works in a smaller area, visits homes and can come on tours with you.

You typed “assisted living near me” late at night, and now your phone keeps ringing. Or you filled out a form and aren’t sure who has your number. If you’re trying to understand who these services are and how they differ, this guide lays it out fairly. We’re a local service, so we’ll say that up front.

Up front: Nonna Placements is free to families and is paid by the licensed home after move-in, like most referral services.

The short version

• Most senior care referral services, national or local, are free to families because care homes pay them.
• A Place for Mom and Caring.com are national services with large networks and online tools.
• A local advisor works in one region, knows the homes there and can come on tours with you.
• Whoever you use, ask how they’re paid, whether they’ll come on tours and who calls you after move-in.

How do national referral services work?

National referral services help families across the country. They run large websites with articles, listings and phone advisors. Families don’t pay them. Care providers do. Here’s how each one describes its own service.

A Place for Mom says its guidance is free to families. It says it is paid by the senior living communities in its network when a family it referred moves in, and by home care agencies when it refers a family to them. It describes a network of more than 15,000 senior living communities and home care agencies. It also says families are under no obligation to use its service or choose one of its referrals (A Place for Mom). Its terms say it may forward a family’s information to providers so they can follow up (A Place for Mom terms).

Caring.com runs a nationwide directory of senior care providers with consumer reviews, plus a free referral service staffed by Family Advisors. It says it is free to consumers. It explains that some providers pay it when a family hires them or moves in, some pay when it sends them a family’s name and contact information, and some pay a yearly fee for extra directory features. It also earns money from ads and affiliate links (Caring.com).

How does a local placement advisor work?

A local advisor does the same basic job, matching your parent with a licensed home, but in a smaller area and in person. Here’s how we work at Nonna Placements:

• We’re based here. We serve families across California, with a focus on Sacramento and Placer counties.
• We know the homes we suggest. We only suggest homes we've seen ourselves.
• We can come on tours with you. We set up visits to 2 or 3 homes in one outing, so you’re not driving all over town. If you live out of state, we also offer video tours.
• We help with move-in paperwork, like the doctor’s report the home needs.

Like the national services, we’re paid by the home, only after your parent moves in. You can still choose any home you like. Our page on how we’re paid explains it in full.

How do they compare?

This table only uses what each service says about itself. Where a service doesn’t say, the answer is “ask them.”

• A Place for Mom. Cost to your family: Free. Who pays the service: Communities in its network after move-in; home care agencies per referral. Area served: Nationwide. Online listings and reviews: Yes. Comes on tours with you: Ask them. Contact after move-in: Ask them.
• Caring.com. Cost to your family: Free. Who pays the service: Some providers on move-in or hire; some per contact sent; directory fees; ads. Area served: Nationwide. Online listings and reviews: Yes, consumer reviews. Comes on tours with you: Ask them. Contact after move-in: Ask them.
• Nonna Placements. Cost to your family: Free. Who pays the service: The licensed home, only after move-in. Area served: California, focused on Sacramento and Placer. Online listings and reviews: Not the focus; we talk with you by phone. Comes on tours with you: Yes, we can come along.

The surprise: “Free” doesn’t mean nobody is paid. Almost every referral service, national or local, earns money from care providers. That’s normal. What matters is that the service tells you how it’s paid and lets you choose any home.

What questions should you ask any referral service?

These questions are about the service itself, not the homes. Ask them on the first call:

• How are you paid, and by whom?
• Do we ever pay you anything?
• Can we choose a home that isn’t in your network?
• Will you share our contact information with care homes? With how many?
• Have you visited the homes you’re suggesting?
• Will you come on tours with us?
• Who calls us after move-in, and when?

A good service will answer all of these clearly. If an answer is vague, ask again.

When might a national site suit you better?

A national service may be a better fit in some cases. Be honest with yourself about what you need:

• If your parent is moving to another state, then a national network may reach more places there today.
• If you want to browse many listings and reviews on your own time, then a national directory is built for that.
• If you want someone local who knows many of the homes and can come on tours, then a local advisor may suit you better.
• If you’re facing a hospital discharge in a day or two, then call the service that can move fastest in your parent’s area, and ask how soon they can set up tours.

Some families use both. That’s okay. Just keep track of who has your contact information.

Local help in Sacramento and Placer counties

• 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.

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’re looking for care in the Sacramento area, or anywhere in California, call us. We’ll explain how we work, listen to what your parent needs and help you find licensed homes that fit. 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 Nonna Placements Gets Paid · How we’re paid · How it works · Board and Care or Assisted Living? · Senior living in Roseville · Senior living in Folsom

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/
• A Place for Mom, How Our Service Works: https://www.aplaceformom.com/eldercare-advisors
• A Place for Mom, Terms of Use: https://www.aplaceformom.com/terms-of-use
• Caring.com, How We Make Money: https://www.caring.com/about/how-we-make-money
• 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: iam hogir, RDNE Stock project, and Ani Coloca, via Pexels, Pexels License.