Shopping for assisted living? La Mesa health library has answers

The Grossmont Healthcare District’s Dr. William C. Herrick Community Health Care Library, 9001 Wakarusa St. in La Mesa, will host a free senior discussion group presentation on “Shopping for Assisted Living,” from 10 to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 24. The public is invited to attend, and RSVP is not required.

The speaker will be Chris “C.M.” Murphy, executive director of Consumer Advocates for RCFE Reform (CARR), a non-profit dedicated to improving resident care in assisted living facilities by educating consumers and increasing industry accountability. RCFE is an acronym for Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly. CARR says it operates the first and only website in California to offer actual public documents on assisted living facilities.

Murphy is scheduled to discuss the types of assisted living and how to use online public records to evaluate specific assisted living facilities in San Diego and Imperial counties. The presentation on July 24 is intended to help attendees become more informed consumers about available choices when considering assisted living. Information on how to pay for assisted living will not be included in the presentation. For more information, phone the library at (619) 825‑5010 or visit www.herricklibrary.org.

Assisted living is defined as a housing alternative for older adults who may need help with dressing, bathing, eating, and toileting, but do not require the intensive medical and nursing care provided in nursing homes. Assisted living facilities may be part of a retirement community, nursing home or senior housing complex, or may stand-alone.

The Herrick Library, which opened in 2002, is a consumer health public library specializing in health research information, accessible both on-site and via the Internet. The library is operated by the Grossmont Healthcare District, a public agency that supports health-related community programs and services in San Diego’s East County.