By Derek Gillette

Talk to any senior living facility, whether it be independent care, assisted, or skilled nursing, and the Director of Marketing and Sales will tell you that their community has a waiting list.

Ask them how many people are on that waiting list, and the answer will be shockingly low. Most communities have waiting lists with zero to five residents.

How does a waiting list work?

A waiting list is essentially a priority spot in line, much like paying for early boarding on an airplane.

The best seats and prime overhead luggage spots go to the priority boarders.

Most communities, ours included, will ask for a 100 percent refundable deposit up front, and once we have that, we are legally obligated to give you preference once the room of your choice opens up.

You of course can decline to move in at that time without hurting your place in line. We call this first right of refusal.

What is the benefit of getting on a waiting list?

Unfortunately life, and the aging process, is unpredictable at best.

One of the biggest issues I see families run into is in being generally unprepared for the crisis moments. We see this happen with fall quite frequently.

Here are some alarming statistics:

-Of seniors age 65 or older, one third of them will have a fall this year, with that percentage increasing to a 50 percent likelihood when they reach age 80.

-Senior falls account for 25 percent of all hospital stays and 40 percent of all nursing home admissions

-25 percent of those admitted to the hospital will pass away within one year

-40 percent of those nursing home admissions never regain the strength to live independently again, living instead in skilled nursing or assisted living communities.

I bring up these statistics to give some perspective as to the likelihood of just this one type of crisis creator. These statistics don’t take into account other crisis instigators, such as accidents, strokes, flu and pneumonia, etc., all of which can lead families to the same conclusion–independent living is no longer an option for our senior loved one.

In very basic terms then, a waiting list is a good idea simply to be better prepared.

A waiting list forces you to go out, before the crisis moment and educate yourself to what senior living options exist in your area, and trust me, communities are not all created equal.

This is not to say necessarily that one is better than another, but that each one has its own strengths and weaknesses.

I strongly believe there is a perfect building for each unique resident, because each community is unique in and of itself.

Once the perfect community is then chosen, a waiting list is a good idea because it allows you the best chance to move into this preferred community when the time is right.

While general education about the senior living communities in your area is good, nothing secures that spot for crisis moments like getting your name on the waiting list.

I worked with a family a while back to get their mother on the waiting list, telling me they didn’t think she would need to move for several months.

However, just two weeks later I took a call from one of the daughters who said they needed a spot as soon as possible because their mother had taken a mental turn for the worse unexpectedly.

Because of their place on the waiting list, we had a spot for them immediately.

If waiting lists are such a good idea, then why aren’t there more names on them?

My Economics 201 teacher in college used to tell us, “Money now is worth more than money later.”

His principle explained why people were willing to pay ATM surcharges and why banks had to pay interest rates on long-term deposits.

Money that I can spend right now is always worth more to me than money I am promised in the future.

In the case of a waiting list, seniors are asked to give money now to get something later.

This goes against that basic economic principle of “money now” and the most likely reason why we find so few names on waiting lists.

Investment in a waiting list grants an intrinsic return, preparation in the event of the crisis moment, and who of us can put a price tag on that.

It’s an investment that your family will thank you for.

Derek Gillette is the Community Outreach Director for Fountain Court Senior Living in Maple Valley. He lives in Cherokee Bay with his wife and four (soon to be five) children. Contact him at dgillette@artegan.com