San Diego County officials launched a new website Tuesday that aims to help families in their search for residential care for elderly loved ones.
The Choose Well website allows users to research and compare assisted living facilities throughout the region.
“San Diego families now have a powerful new tool to help ease what is often one of the toughest decisions they can make – where to place an elderly relative in need of more care,” said Supervisor Dianne Jacob, chairwoman of the Board of Supervisors. “By including a ratings system on the website, we’re also hoping it will raise the bar on the level of care countywide.”
In 2014, Jacob and Supervisor Greg Cox launched the effort to create Choose Well to address the growing challenges in San Diego of an aging population that needs long-term care. Those 65 and older are the fastest-growing age group in the county.
“Providing care for an aging relative is one of the most gut-wrenching and difficult decisions a family can make,” Cox said. “With Choose Well, families will have help navigating the maze of information, rules and regulations behind long-term residential care facilities.”
The website — registered in March 2016 — uses a Better Business Bureau-style ratings system that looks at 11 measures of quality to guide consumers to the most appropriate facility for their needs.
About 120 assisted living and group homes for older adults have volunteered to take part in the scoring system, with more expected to be added in the coming months.
The site has a side-by-side comparison tool to evaluate residential care facilities for the elderly (RCFE), a listing of consumer resources and information on the county’s Long Term Care Ombudsman Program.
It was developed in cooperation with Consumer Advocates for RCFE Reform, a nonprofit organization. Its